Sunlight
by KissKissCrush
Summary: A year after graduating from Forks High School, Bella Swan is living a dull life as a waitress in a coffee shop. When an unusual stranger suddenly appears in town and begins frequenting her work she finds herself immediately drawn to him but it isn't until he starts to charmingly establish himself as an irreplaceable figure in her life that she discovers he's not quite human. AU.
1. Bella Isabella

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

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AN~This story begins about three years later than Twilight did. It is distinctly AU as almost nothing from the real Twilight plot remains aside from some unavoidable Bella-meets-vampires-in-Forks parallels and the characters, settings, various hotnesses of people, and awesomeness of Charlie. I was happily busy editing several other stories when this one _attacked_ me one morning and I had to grab my phone and start writing it down before I was even awake. I'm glad I did because it's been completely delightful. I truly hope you find it so as well. ~KKC

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_EDIT: May 2013. I just want to thank new readers who are picking this up after its completion and leaving reviews. It's nice to get reviews any length of time after a story ends. Since I can't respond to most, just know I love them still and they're a great motivator.  
_

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**1**

He was there a lot later than usual, reading and ignoring everything around him like he always did. Nearly everyone in the restaurant was gone and as they left, and there were less eyes around to notice me, I was free to glance at him more often than I usually could. As much as I usually _would_ if I were able to.

He looked up from what he was reading the way people usually did when they were needing their check or a refill of some kind. Andrea and I were the only servers left and she was, of course, missing. Probably out smoking with her lumberjack boyfriend. I didn't know if he really was a lumberjack, but he looked like a cartoon version of one. And his name was Jack. It was too much to not make a joke of it although I never shared it with her.

He probably wanted his check this late at night but I took a coffee pot anyway. I was vaguely daydreaming about having an excuse to go to his table more than once if Andrea hadn't reappeared yet since he was seated in her section as usual. It was almost like he avoided my tables intentionally but I'm not sure how he could possibly know which were mine on any random day since we rotated.

I knew it was stupid to go anywhere near him with a glass jar full of flaming hot liquid, especially since my hands were suddenly very sweaty, but I was feeling especially stupid this evening after spending the last hour staring at him unchecked while pretending to do other things.

When I got to his table, he looked up at me and I almost dropped the coffee pot right then. This was the closest we had ever been to each other. His face was as startling and unnaturally perfect up close as it appeared from far away. He was watching me with disproportionate interest, as though I were about to say something more important than any of the possible questions or comments a waitress could have. Most people just nodded or ignored you when you refilled their cup. Unless they wanted to yell at you. Or hit on you which was almost invariably worse.

"Hi. Um, do you need a refill or . . . ?"

_'Or what, Bella? Someone to brush your unbelievably pretty hair?' _

I actually started to step back before I did say something so horrifying. His hair _was_ pretty. It was long, which wasn't unusual around here next to a reservation, but a little different for a white guy. I think he was white. He was pale, but his features were . . . foreign. Strange. Almost like a person of another race who was albino. But his eyes were dark. And his hair. He was just very pale. And he was just staring at me for so long that I almost thought I must have said something inappropriate or maybe I hadn't said anything at all? Maybe I had just walked up and stood there! I had opened my mouth to try to speak, hoping whatever came out wasn't as embarrassing as what I was already doing when he spoke finally.

"No, thank you, Isabella. I only need my check."

"You know my name!" I blurted, followed by a mortified blushing spell which exponentially increased my anxiety at being so close to him.

"Yes, it's there on your name tag," he said. He pointed in way that looked like he was offering me his hand but with all of his fingers curled in except for the index.

I grabbed at my shirt where he'd pointed, encountering my ugly red name tag. Of course I had known I was wearing it but it only said, "BELLA," and people never called me by full name when they saw the tag.

"It's—it just says, 'Bella' . . ."

"But that's short for, 'Isabella', isn't it?"

I always corrected anyone who said it, sometimes rudely, as I hated my name. But I didn't correct him. It was like I had never heard it before. He had a soft, alien accent I couldn't place. It wasn't the name I had hated my whole life when he said it. It was some exotic word in another language that I didn't know the meaning of but sounded far too elegant to be applied to me.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, yes, it's Isabella. It's just no one calls me that."

"That's too bad. It's pretty."

"Is it?" I sounded idiotic. I needed to get away from him fast before I said something disastrous like, "No, _you're_ pretty and I kind of want to kiss you on the mouth . . ."

"I think so. But the opinion of a stranger carries less than monumental weight I am sure."

"It's fine."

_'It's fine to think your name is pretty? Bella, what the hell are you saying!? Stop now.'_

"I mean, thanks. That's nice."

"I didn't say it to be nice. I said it because it's true."

"It's just nice that you think so, I guess." Dear. God. This was the worst conversation of my life.

"I've made you uncomfortable, I think. I apologize."

"It's okay. I'm pretty much always uncomfortable. Born in the wrong skin maybe." Now I was picturing myself wearing another person's skin which didn't fit right and I was seriously hoping he wasn't thinking the same thing because it looked disgusting.

"You seem okay to me."

I almost thanked him again and luckily stopped myself and instead said, "Well, I should get back we're going to close soon so I need to finish some things . . ."

"Of course. Sorry to have kept you."

I smiled awkwardly and started to turn, then spun back, making the coffee slosh a little. A small amount spattered onto my bare arm and I forced myself not to grimace as it burned my wrist.

"Do you, um . . . ?" I held up the pot instead of trying to speak more. No! I had already asked him that! _Dammit!_

"No, thank you. The check will be fine." He looked amused. I was pretty certain I had thoroughly embarrassed myself now and he thought I was part of an outreach program that gives jobs to social rejects with no recognizable skills.

I forced myself to walk very carefully back to the counter and replace the pot on the warming plate. I knew if I hurried I would trip or crash into some unmoving object that somehow managed to jump into my path unseen.

Andrea appeared then and even though I had originally had a little scheme about going back to his table, I was glad I didn't have to because I'd almost died the first time. And burned the hell out of my arm as well. She had the pad with his check in her apron pocket anyway.

"That guy wants his check," I said calmly, impressed with my apparent nonchalance.

"Oh, right, he's still here," she said and then whispered, "He's _really_ weird. Have you ever had him at one of your tables?"

"Um, no. He's seems pretty normal though." Hah! What a stupid lie. One which I regretted right away. He was _weird,_ no doubt about it and it wouldn't do for anyone to even guess at my fascination with him.

She eyed me strangely. Yup, I should have just said he was creepy because now I seemed weird for not thinking he was. Great.

I tried to make the fact that I was watching her take his check seem casual, a product of boredom. I noted, with an odd swooping sensation in my stomach, that he only glanced at her. Still polite, but not like he had looked at me.

Andrea wasn't particularly gorgeous but she wore tight clothing and had that kind of long blond hair which looks infuriatingly effortless and makes you feel frumpy no matter how good your own looks. By Forks standards, anyway, she was hot and used to male attention everywhere she went. He did not watch her walk away even though I could tell she was swaying her hips a little more exaggeratedly than necessary as she did so. She might have claimed she thought he was weird, but she was bothered by his indifference. She wanted to be wanted by _everybody_ even if she didn't want them.

"He's a total homo," she said grumpily, slapping her pad on the counter and ringing up his check with quick, violent stabs on the key pad.

I looked up as she said this and saw him smirk at the exact moment when it might had been appropriate had he been standing where I was.

_'He heard us!'_ I thought ridiculously. That was crazy, he was way too far away. But I watched him as I responded, keeping my voice low.

"I don't know. He seems kind of European . . . "

"Europeans can be homos, too," she said, losing count of his change and having to start over.

He smirked again and I inhaled sharply.

"Well, I saw him flirting with some girl earlier . . ." I tested, watching him carefully. He had his eyes directed at the book open on the table in front of him but he cocked his head as I spoke, in the universal gesture of subtle eavesdropping. He was smiling now. This was madness, he couldn't possibly hear us!

"What girl?" she demanded.

"Oh, um, some customer. Didn't look local."

She humphed and slammed the cash drawer closed before stomping back to his table to hand him his change with distinct coolness in her manner. She was always nice to customers, obsequious even. He took the change from her in such a way that made it necessary for her to touch him but he wasn't looking at her. His eyes flicked to me for an instant as this happened and he smiled slightly the way you do when someone has just told you an interesting secret.

After she walked away, he rose and I turned away quickly, suddenly busy doing absolutely nothing but trying to look like I was doing something vital. I wasn't going to watch him leave.

_'I won't be creepy. I won't be creepy. I won't be creepy . . .'_

I was listening for the hushed whoosh of the door opening and closing so I knew when I could turn around safely. There was a longer pause than I expected but finally I heard the door swing back into place and I breathed out shakily, laughing a little bit at how ridiculous I was being.

When I turned around again, I saw that it wasn't him leaving, it was Donny bringing in the wooden open sign from out front. _He_ was standing right in front of me, smiling pleasantly.

I jumped, dropping the handful of forks I had picked up while I was looking pretend busy. They bounced onto the thin carpet in a clattering, silver halo around my feet. _'Well, at least it wasn't the coffee . . .'_ I dived to get them, somehow avoiding hitting my forehead on the counter on the way down but not the back of my head on the way up. I decided to pretend that hadn't happened as I reappeared, smiling painfully, a few moments later.

"Is your arm all right?" he asked.

"What?" Oh, right, the burning myself! I had almost forgotten that the head wound I now had wasn't my only him-induced injury from the night. "Um, yeah. It's fine," I said, holding it up. But it didn't look fine. It was bright red and I could see a blister forming already. Nice and gross. This was awesome. I hid it below the counter. Then I realized this would be situation in which it would actually be appropriate to thank him but he spoke first.

"Do you work on the weekend?"

"I—um, sometimes."

"I mean this weekend."

"Oh!" I laughed nervously. "Uh, no. Not this weekend. Why?"

"Because I would like to take you somewhere."

"Oh, um, are you talking about like a date?"

"I believe that's what you call it here, yes."

"Well, you should learn to ask in a way that doesn't make it sound like you're going to murder me when we get wherever we're going." Wow. Smooth, Bella. I _was_ a social reject with no skills.

But he laughed, showing unusually neat stark white teeth. Was _everything_ about him perfect? I knew I had taken this extra shift from Danielle so I would see him when he came in but actually agreeing to go somewhere with him was a far more deliberate and possibly dangerous action.

"Sass. Interesting. Well, while it isn't my _intention_ to murder you, Isabella, I can't make absolute promises about it in case you turn out to be excruciatingly boring and all you talk about are the birthday parties you throw for your cats or how much you hate your sister's new boyfriend. But I think in those cases it would fall under the heading of Justifiable Homicide anyway."

I wanted to laugh but I saw that Andrea was watching us closely from the other side of the dining room while she cleared the dishes off her last table. It would be extremely bad for someone like Andrea to get the idea that I was flirting with him. I forced my face to stay politely neutral.

"Well, I don't have a sister and I'm allergic to cats . . ."

"Then there's almost no chance I'm going to kill you if you go out with me so unless you have another reason for saying no . . ."

I looked him over carefully, pretending to debate his offer. It was wholly unnecessary as I knew _exactly_ what he looked like and what I was going to say but it was a chance to see him up close like I had been wanting. He clothes were immaculate, his skin was unrealistically smooth and unblemished, and his hair was the kind of beautiful shade and texture you never see outside of magazine ads. His eyes were strange though. The irises were very dark and just a little too large giving him the appearance of one of those unsettling antique Kewpie dolls. They made him look very young but I knew he had to be quite a bit older than me. I hadn't been able to decide how much though. All of this made him sort of ageless. He could have been twenty years older or only ten.

"I'm actually with someone," I finally admitted reluctantly and somehow managed to be brave enough to look at him while turning him down. I was sad that he would leave now and I would most likely not see him again but I couldn't carry my daydreaming about him any further into reality without hurting real people. He didn't appear disappointed though.

Because it turned out he wasn't done.

"As friends then?"

"This must be a pretty impressive place you have in mind," I said. I was stalling now because I didn't know how to react to his extended invitation. Dating someone so much older was unconventional but just on the acceptable side of shocking. Somehow though, being friends with him was an even stranger idea.

"It could be if you agree to go with me."

"So it's a place for which its awesomeness is dependent on the people present?"

"Isn't everywhere?"

"Probably not prison. I'm guessing it sucks no matter who is there."

"You're funny," he said, smiling at me fondly like I was an adorable zoo animal.

"I guess." His compliments where so unusual that I didn't really know how to react to them. Not necessarily the content, but the way he said them. Like, I had taken the name thing as a compliment but he said it wasn't. It seemed like this was the same type of thing.

"So, Isabella, are we to be friends then or should I leave you to your passably happy life as a charmingly klutzy waitress and bother you no more?"

The bizarrely strong attraction I had to him made the charade of us ever being "friends" laughable but I inadvisably chose self-delusion and did the very wrong thing by not declining his offer.

"Yeah, it's probably okay, I guess," I said, guilt flooding me immediately.

"I will call you then to determine the specifics of our outing." He was backing away toward the door as he said this.

"Wait, don't you need my number?" I had to say it a little loud because he was further away and the people sitting at the last table in the deserted dining room turned to watch us. I felt my face warm again and knew I had to be an awful shade of Hello Kitty pink by now.

"It's a small town. And I do know how to operate a phone book, Miss _Swan_," he said with an odd grin I would have taken for giddiness in a younger or less confident person. I had no idea what it meant coming from him. I waved as he departed, watching as he passed by the front windows. He was almost unsettlingly graceful and seemed to sort of float rather than walk.

"He's cute, but a little old for you, Sweetie," said a rusty voice next to me. I started. It was Sherry, the owner. I loved her but she was a bit nosy. But then, everyone was. There wasn't anything else to do here but know everyone's business. I wasn't innocent of that crime myself. "Was he hitting on you?" she asked.

And begin.

"I'm not sure," I said evasively, focusing far too intently on rolling silverware into napkins and sealing those little paper straps around them.

"Really? Because it looked like he was asking you to the prom by the way you two were acting."

I was dumb to think she would let me get away with that inept sidestep.

"Okay. He asked me out and I told him I had a boyfriend. I would just prefer if not everyone knew so it doesn't become a huge deal. People already treat him differently and it's really unfair. It would probably be worse though if they knew about this so just yeah, don't say anything, okay? He's nice, people should leave him alone."

She raised an eyebrow at my unnecessarily extended defense of him.

"Hmm, well, Jacob's a nice boy, you know. You're lucky to have him."

She knew I wasn't being totally honest. Sherry often knew more than it seemed like she should. A few times I actually wondered if she was supernatural. She patted my arm and started to walk away. I couldn't help myself. I glanced around to make sure the gawkers had gone back to their own conversation before I said, "You think he's cute?" I wanted to know if it was just me.

"Well, he's no Brad Pitt but he's cute enough do a little more than hold hands with. If you're into that tailored type. And he has a nice butt, in case you haven't looked, because _I_ did!" While most people would have said this last part quietly, Sherry pitched her voice higher and then laughed loudly so that everyone was looking at me again. Luckily, I think my body had used up its quota of blushing for that day and I didn't change color dramatically, further betraying my feelings about him.

"I hadn't noticed," I mumbled.

"Uh huh," she said skeptically, and vanished into the kitchen.

Truthfully, I _had_ tried to look but he was always sitting down or wearing a jacket when I saw him. I knew I could trust Sherry though. She was a connoisseur of butts so to speak. She checked out everybody. Particularly my boyfriend who she felt it was her right to touch as much as she wanted _because_ he happened to be my boyfriend. And who was walking through the dingy glass doors just as I was thinking this.

Jacob would have undoubtedly been considered more attractive than my mystery customer by most people but I had honestly never spent a lot of time thinking about the way he looked. We were friends for a long time before we started dating and somehow he never crossed the friend barrier for me in that way.

He also had long dark hair, which uncomfortably brought someone other than him to mind now. He was nearly always laughing or smiling. Which made me feel awkward sometimes as I was more straight-faced, gloomy even, much of the time. I didn't really like living in Forks and it was difficult to be upbeat in a place that was so dreary both in weather and the general disposition of inhabitants.

He grinned at me now and I was struck by how white _his_ teeth were, so similar to . . . him. I realized that I did not even know his name. And I had agreed to go somewhere with him. Having Jacob, my age-appropriate, utterly normal, not-at-all creepy boyfriend standing here in front of me made the madness of this whole thing suddenly very real. This was wrong. It would hurt Jacob. I would just say no when he called. If he called. It made me illogically sad then that he might not. I don't know why I was hoping he would when I was just going to turn him down.

That was a big fat lie. I was hoping he would call because I wanted to hear his voice again. And the way he said my name.

Sherry reappeared, like she had been summoned and immediately started flirting openly with Jacob. She was purposefully over the top and we both laughed. For me at least it was a welcome bit of levity to break the tense knot I'd had in my chest since the minute I had made the decision to insanely make contact with my completely unsuitable crush.

Sherry slapped Jacob on the butt, declared loudly that it was, "still nice," and then disappeared again.

"She is getting more handsy all the time," he said, but he was smiling. "You almost done?"

I had forgotten he'd come to walk me home. My truck was dead today when I'd gone out to come to work and he wouldn't be able to look at it until tomorrow.

"Um, yeah." I looked around. All of the side work was done and the last table was Andrea's. They were just drinking coffee now and would probably stay there until kicked out. I was holding a final, crumpled napkin in my fist. I let go and saw that there were soft ridges from my fingers imbedded in it, sealed in place by sweat.

I shouted into the back that I was leaving and when I turned around, Jacob was holding my coat. He handed it to me. One time he'd tried to hold it for me while I put it on but my impressive lack of coordination, even while not talking to beautiful, intimidating strangers, made trying to put on a coat I wasn't in control of practically impossible and he never did it again.

It was cold outside but not freezing. The pavement was wet and I could tell it would rain again. Hopefully we could get a couple of minutes closer to my house before it started. Jacob took my hand and the guilt I had about whatever-his-name-was flared again momentarily. He smiled at me sweetly. It was pretty clear that he was in love with me but had thankfully not gone so far as to say it out loud. Yet. We hadn't really been dating that long and I was unsure about how I felt. He was definitely my best friend and but I didn't feel that overwhelming feeling of intense stupidity that I had been led to believe you feel when you're in love. Sometimes, when he kissed me I got a little dizzy, but it couldn't possibly be what everyone was always writing songs about and and killing themselves over. I thought it was probably something which had to develop.

Sometimes it was hard to have your boyfriend also be your best friend because then you had no one to talk about your boyfriend with. And no one to talk about mystifying things like that guy with either. And if you broke up, you had no more best friend. I had almost broken up with him once and that was one of things which stopped me. It wasn't bad being with Jacob because he was wonderful and I certainly wasn't interested in anyone else around here so I'd had no valid excuse to end our relationship. Which was a pretty bleak situation I realized with an unhappy jolt as we crossed the highway together and I found myself wishing I were alone.

We talked about various superficial things on the way to my house. When we got there I could tell he wanted to linger. We often sat on the porch talking for a long time but I didn't feel up to it tonight. All of the various emotions that had swept through me in the last hour had drained me of the ability to have a coherent conversation about anything meaningful. He was disappointed but I told him I was just tired and might be getting sick. His demeanor changed immediately to concerned.

I was a terrible person. I should break up with him just because I didn't deserve him. Maybe he could find someone who did then.

He bent to kiss me, despite my warning that I may be getting sick. I closed my eyes. This was better. It didn't require thought. I slipped my hands into his hair and then immediately wondered what _his_ hair, so similar to Jacob's, felt like. I pulled away abruptly before I started imagining kissing him also. I was becoming obsessed and by extension, traitorous. It hadn't been as bad before, when he'd just come to the restaurant. Now that we had spoken, it had sent my preoccupation with him into overdrive.

I apologized to Jacob and went quickly into the house leaving him standing, confused, on my porch. I called a hello to Charlie and tried to dash straight for the stairs.

"There's a message by the phone for you, Bells."

I froze with my foot in the air, hovering over the bottom step for a few seconds, then turned and made myself walk as calmly as possible back to the kitchen. I could see Charlie's uneven scrawl on the top piece of paper on the pad by the phone. I was afraid to get close enough to read it. It had to be from one of my friends. There's no way he would call tonight, not when he knew I was definitely at work.

I leaned over it from a comical distance, afraid to touch it like it might be dangerous. It was simple and disjointed the way all of Charlie's phone messages were. He often got details wrong which sometimes ended amusingly but more often was simply baffling and indecipherable. I'm not sure how he didn't know how to take down accurate information after being a cop for so long but maybe he just switched off when he got home. I thought that he had to be wrong this time for sure after reading the few words scrawled on the paper:

_Someone named "Arrow"_

_Call tomorrow_

_Weekend something_.

Arrow. His name was _Arrow?_ That was an improbably wacky name for someone like him. It didn't fit him at all. Unless he was a villain in a James Bond movie. He did look a bit like a villain actually. One of those really pretty, smooth villains. No, do not think about him being pretty.

I took the note off the pad. Charlie was in the doorway now.

"He asked for 'Isabella', I thought it was a telemarketer."

"Huh, yeah, weird."

"Strange name," he pressed. He was inordinately paranoid about unknown males. Why couldn't he switch off _that_ cop trait when he came home . . .

"Oh yeah, might be one of Jacob's friends," I said, extremely grateful to live next to an Indian reservation, making somebody named "Arrow" sound totally plausible. Maybe. I realized I actually didn't know anything about Native-American naming practices aside from what I'd seen in movies which were surely cliches. I held my breath and hoped Charlie was as uninformed as I was.

But it turned out he wasn't particularly concerned about that part and I fervently wished we could go back to why there was a person with a noun for a name calling me at ten pm because the next line of questioning was far more perilous.

"He didn't sound like a kid."

"Yeah, well, Jacob sounds like he's thirty-five on the phone." It was true and I was relieved that it had the effect I wanted. He started to relax incrementally.

"Thinking of going down to La Push this weekend?" Now he was casual, just being curious rather than suspicious.

"Yeah, well, the rain could let up." Excellent answer. Utterly vague about intent.

He shrugged and went back to the TV. I went upstairs to my room where I closed the door and took what felt like the first real breath I had taken since I picked up that coffee pot a little over an hour ago. I reread the note again carefully, like there could be some more revealing meaning hidden there. But it didn't tell me anything I didn't know. In fact it created questions. Like why he would call during a time when he knew I wouldn't be home and if he expected _me_ to call _him_ now. It just said "call tomorrow". Charlie must have understood him wrong I decided because it was better than thinking he just didn't record a number and my one chance to talk to him again was gone.

I carefully folded the note and put it on my desk in the corner, out of sight, after talking myself out of setting it on my nightstand. I changed quickly and got into bed. I was tired after two shifts at work but as soon as I lay down I realized I was _tired_ but not _sleepy_. The darkness felt private and safe though so I didn't turn on the light to read the way I usually did when I couldn't sleep. Instead, I let myself go over our encounter in my head. I dwelled on the most vivid points.

_When he said my name and the way it had sounded. _

_His laugh when I asked him if he planned to kill me._

_How pissed off Andrea was when he didn't check her out and how he __**had**__ looked at me. _

_And asked me out._

_And when it seemed like he could hear our conversation from across the room. _

_His odd giddiness when I told him I would go wherever-it-was with him. _

He was almost absurdly excited. He was definitely strange. Thinking about everything that had happened made me feel an uncharacteristic desire to giggle behind my hands like I was a Japanese school girl. I had finally seen him up close. And I would see him again. No, _talk_ to him when I told him I _couldn't_ see him. Oh, but I wanted to see him. Maybe it would be okay one time. He seemed like he had something planned and I was interested to know what it was.

And I wanted to be near him.

That was a very solid reason to cancel right there because those feelings were _way_ past friendly.

I tugged the sheet over my head like I could hide my own dumb expression from myself.

So, so not friendly . . .

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End Notes: Okay then, kids. Intriguing enough for you, I hope. I think it's fairly obvious that I am guilty of adverb and italics abuse. And, in this chapter only, of extreme forms of punctuation abuse. I am unapologetic about that but I _will_ apologize for the number of times I use the word _weird_ in this fic. It's _actually_ weird that I did not notice how many times I was using it in the first draft because I'm generally very conscientious about word repetition. There are some issues with tenses in this chapter as well which I was too tired to fix. I've gotten impatient here and decided to post this earlier than I'd originally planned, meaning it got like three or four edits instead of six or twelve.

Lastly, as a reader, I am _criminally_ bad at reviewing stories because I get very caught up reading and forget. I implore you to overlook my own deficiencies and let me know what you thought. I even have a suggestion:

I have noticed when writing AroBella dialogue that they tend to say hilarious things to each other that I do not even feel I can take credit for because it literally feels like they're coming out of nowhere and I seriously laughed hysterically throughout the writing of this story. So, at the end of each chapter, I will be putting my favorite line here, and I would love, _love_ to know what your favorite line/scene was as well. From this chapter I chose a Bella line:

_"Well, you should learn to ask in a way that doesn't make it sound like you're going to murder me when we get wherever we're going."_

Thank you for reading! Future end notes will not be this long.

I think.


	2. My Secret Friend

******Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

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AN~So, wow. Thank you everyone for all the feedback. That was amazing. I was trying to get this chapter up this afternoon but then I had an emergency. And by "emergency" I mean BD2 finally started playing at the dollar theater near my house and obviously I had to immediately go see it a forth time. For research. Of Michael Sheen's face

**_Warnings: So, Bella swears quite a lot in her narration in this story so if you're offended by the f-word, this is not going to be a pleasant read for you. It begins in this chapter._**

Also, if you would like to see what that lovely cover art actually looks like you should go see the full-size version on my DA page. My user name is the same there. Apparently you cannot place direct links here for some ridiculous reason.

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**2**

I was grateful the next day was a weekday because it meant Charlie was at work and I could hover over the phone without looking suspicious.

I cleaned the entire house, starting in the kitchen and moving out and up from there. It was that kind of twitchy deep cleaning you only do when guests are coming to stay or you're trying to keep your mind off of something.

I carried the cordless phone around with me as I moved between rooms, keeping it stuffed into my back pocket at first until I dropped it and the battery pack flew out and skidded under the couch requiring the use of a broom to retrieve it, then I just carried it by hand and set it near where I was working. I kept picking it up after I finished a task to make sure I hadn't accidentally turned the ringer off or left the button pushed making it busy. It was silent, but operational, each time.

I had never waited like this for a phone call so I had no idea if it was normal or if I was being obsessive and silly. By the time Jacob and I started actually dating, the time for phone call anxiety was long past.

When it finally did ring I was standing precariously on my bed, knocking spiderwebs off the ceiling with a broom and the sound nearly caused me to fall. I steadied myself with my arms out and my knees bent like I was on a surfboard, barely avoiding hitting myself in the face with the broom handle. I grabbed the phone off the nightstand hastily then had to juggle it, one-handed, for a moment until I could get a hold of it. I saw a number appear on the call ID. Why hadn't I checked that last night?

It was Jacob. I felt a huge weight of disappointment land on me and then guilt followed directly on top of that. I actually considered not answering it and then the part of me that wasn't a heartless, selfish douchebag kicked in and I pressed the button and brought it to my ear.

"Hello?" I sounded kind of like I was being choked.

"Bella? Are you all right?"

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, sorry. I'm fine."

"I was just wondering if you were feeling better . . ."

"Oh, um, not really." That was true. But I knew the reason I felt dizzy and sick was because I was waiting for _him_ to call me, not because I was ill. "I'm fine though. I'm probably just tired," I added quickly. I definitely didn't need a very sweet and concerned boyfriend nurse at my house reminding how horrible I was with his awesomeness.

"Okay. Well, I wanted to check in before I left. I'm going to go camping with Sam and some of the guys and I wanted to, yeah, check on you. And tell you I won't be able to look at your truck until Monday now. They're loading up so I only have a minute."

I was relieved that I wouldn't have to end the conversation and also that he was going to be gone so I wouldn't risk running into him wherever Arrow—still sounded wrong—was taking me, if I said yes.

"Okay. That sounds fun. You haven't been out forever." I could hear them yelling excitedly in the background.

"So I'll see you Monday—ouch, Sam, you're an asshole! Sorry, Bella, I'll see you when I get back. If I get back—ow, stop it!"

He was laughing and it made me smile. Jacob was the kindest and maybe the happiest person I'd ever known. The thought of hurting him was almost enough to override my intense curiosity about Arrow.

Almost. I pushed the hang up button and stared at the phone. It rang again immediately, vibrating ominously in my hand which turned instantly damp. The call ID said UNKNOWN and I knew it was him this time.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Isabella."

He didn't ask for me like a normal person would. He didn't seem to do anything like a normal person. The familiarity in his voice made me feel like we were talking face-to-face instead of over the phone. Which wasn't necessarily good as I was terrible face-to-face when he was involved.

"Um, hi, Ar—" I was going to say his name but now I was certain Charlie had recorded it wrong and calling him that if it wasn't actually his name would be profoundly embarrassing.

"You received my message I assume?"

"Oh, yeah. I um, Charlie really didn't write much down though . . ."

"Charlie?"

"My dad." I hated admitting that I lived with a parent. It made me feel young. Maybe he didn't know I was that young when he asked me out.

"You refer to your father by his given name?"

"I guess so."

"Hmm. Well, I was wondering what you were doing tomorrow afternoon."

"Nothing."

"Will you come with me at three then?"

_Come with you where?_

"You're very vague about all of this you know," I accused.

"I am, aren't I? I suppose you will have to trust me."

"I don't even know you."

"And you can only know me better by spending more time with me. If we're to be friends, that seems logical."

Oh, so we really were going to play the "friends" game then. Now I couldn't say no. Well, I _could_, but now I had a good excuse not to.

"Yeah. Okay. That sounds fine."

"Shall I pick you up at your house?"

"No!" I said, too quickly and too loudly and then amended it so I didn't sound crazy. "My dad is a cop. He doesn't trust strangers easily."

"But you do?"

"Not usually. . . "

"That's smart of you."

"Yeah, well, not smart enough to stay away from you apparently."

"I suppose that's true, after all, I _could_ be trying to kill you, sweet Isabella._"_

I was glad he couldn't see me because the look on my face when he said this was extremely revealing like his breath had actually come through the phone and warmed the skin of my neck as he pronounced the syllables of my name.

"How long are you going to let me make murder jokes before reporting me to your father?"

"That was the last one."

"You probably should have stopped me after the first."

"Yes, well, I didn't actually expect you to run with that as our first inside joke."

"First. So we'll have others?"

"Friends usually do . . ."

"And where do friends usually meet up here in Forks if not at each other's houses?"

"Um . . . the parking lot of the high school?"

"I see. So, will there be a lot of other people meeting their friends there?"

"It wouldn't be a good place to kill me if that's what you're thinking."

"I thought there was a ban on murder humor."

"Only for you. School doesn't start for a couple of months so the parking lot should be empty."

"So it's not just Charlie. You don't want other people to see us together either."

"I just think it would look . . . strange."

"Are you very concerned about your reputation?"

"No. It's just my boyfriend is out of town and it might start a rumor. Small town and all. I wouldn't want him to hear something and think . . . something that wasn't true."

"Very well, I will stay hidden away as you desire. For now."

"It's not like that. I just think I should tell him myself is all."

"Do you warn him about every new friend you make or just the ones you're attracted to?"

"You don't meet a lot of new people around here," I said evenly. I wasn't going to let him trick me into saying I liked him. My preposterous behavior was doing that well enough for me.

"All right, my secret friend. I will see you tomorrow then."

He was about to say goodbye and I knew I needed to ask now or it would be more uncomfortable the longer I went without being sure.

"Please tell me you're not named after a weapon." I cringed as the words left my mouth. I probably could have made it less blunt than that.

He chuckled. "What did your dear father, Charlie, convey to you that my name was?"

" . . . Arrow?"

"Would you not like me anymore if my name were Arrow?"

"No, I would."

"So you like me." I could almost hear him looking smug.

"I'm not usually friends with people I don't like," I said, once more dodging his attempt to coax a confession from me.

"Of course not. Well, my name is not Arrow. Or it won't be tomorrow after I have it legally changed because you obviously hate it."

"I hope you're not serious."

"I hope you're not so superficial that you would not like someone for having an unusual name."

"It's just that it doesn't fit you."

"I see. What does fit me?"

"I don't know . . ."

"Guess."

"Aaron . . .?" That didn't fit him either, it just sounded similar to Arrow.

"That's as close as 'Arrow' but still, no."

"Eric?"

"No, I am not a tax accountant."

"Arnold?"

"I also do not sell used cars for a living. And you're terrible at this game, that sounds nothing like 'Arrow' or 'Aaron'."

"Errol?" I said hesitantly.

"And that is the end of my ideas about that crush I had convinced myself you have on me as it is now very apparent that you find me repellant."

"I don't find you repellant. You're beau—"

Almost caught me.

"Please just tell me," I said, irritated now.

"What are you intending to do with this information?"

"I don't know, call you by it?"

"Ah, but if we're alone I will already know you're talking to me and since you're not going to tell anyone that we're friends I really don't see any practical purpose for you knowing my name at all."

"Are you seriously not going to tell me your name?"

"If, when you arrive at the parking lot of Forks High School tomorrow, there are several eccentric older men waiting there who look identical to me, I will be the one _not_ holding flowers because that's boring and very last century. I _can_ bring you an iPod or . . . a gift card for _Bed, Bath and Beyond_ which I've just found inexplicably in my jacket pocket."

"I don't need any presents. I'll settle for knowing your name."

"Then you will. Tomorrow. Until then, Isabella Marie Swan."

"Wait. How do you know _my_ full name?"

"I guessed. I'm _much_ better at this game than you. Also, 'Marie' and 'Elizabeth' are the the most common female middle names around your birth year and 'Isabella Elizabeth' sounds ridiculous so . . ."

"I would like to change my guess to Creepy McRestrainingorder."

"I prefer Charming Von Handsomeface but I will respond to either."

"You're strange."

"And _you_ are pretty."

Then the line went silent and I took the handset away from my face. The little blue screen was dark.

I stared at my room. For cleaning all day, this place was a mess. I had pulled all of the books off my shelf and piled them in a messy heap on my bed, one of the reasons why I was so unstable when Jacob called. I had decided to organize all of my papers from school last year to see what I wanted to keep and they were scattered in semi-organized stacks on the floor in front of my desk, which was empty now except for the phone message which I had forced myself not to touch again after reading it a million times.

My cleaning mania was gone now that I didn't need the distraction and I did as much as put the books back on the still dusty shelf and shove the papers into the same messy stack they were in at the end of the school year before collapsing on my bed.

There were still spiderwebs hanging from the ceiling. Only now they were torn and dangling over my head, wispily threatening to detach from their holdings and float down onto my face while I was asleep. I got the broom again and finished their removal. It was as I was jumping off my bed and I swept the end of the broom, now coated with spiderwebs through my hair, leaving a sticky glob caught near the back of my head, that I decided I should probably shower. My shirt was damp in various places with an indistinguishable mixture of sweat and mop water and my jeans which were old when I started now had several new permanent-looking stains.

I washed my hair multiple times and smelled my hands carefully hoping that the cleaning product smell was actually gone and I hadn't just gotten used to it. Even if I wasn't intending to do anything with him, it would be nice if I didn't smell like 409 at least. I finally decided that it would definitely fade by tomorrow even if there was any remaining scent right now. I hoped. Industrial Lemon probably wasn't a very pleasant fragrance to have trapped inside of a car with you.

I trudged back into my room in a towel and found that I had no clean clothes because I had intended to do laundry that morning and instead cleaned out all of the cabinets in the kitchen for no conceivable reason. Even more than right now, I needed something to wear tomorrow. I looked down on the massive pile of limp clothing blocking the entrance to the closet. Mostly jeans and t-shirts. Old, faded jeans and t-shirts. Okay, I needed something to wear that wasn't mine. Something that didn't make me look like I was going to go hiking or paint a house.

This dilemma was easily solved, it was just a matter of if I wanted to pay the potentially high price involved. I pawed through my dirty clothes, confirming that I really had nothing that wasn't boring or worn out and finally resigned myself to calling the girliest person I knew: Jessica Stanley, who was completely floored that I was asking her for clothing and insisted I come over immediately. When I showed up on her doorstep twenty minutes later in yoga pants with wet hair she scoffed loudly before pulling me inside but I could tell she was still happy to see me.

In her room she had laid out a number of things already. It looked organized but I couldn't figure out what system she was using. It wasn't color, type of fabric or recognizable style of clothing. It turned out to be an incomprehensible series of absurd descriptions which sounded like they came out of a Seventeen magazine. They probably had actually. There was a fraying stack of them by a battered white bookcase full of everything but books near her window.

"Okay, I think we'll go for 'Sophisticated Casual' first . . . no, actually, we need to dry your hair. With that mop on your head, everything will look awful."

Thanks, Jess.

She dragged me into the bathroom and proceeded to assault me with a hairdryer which had some kind of intimidating attachment on the end that looked like a plastic bowl full of spikes. When she was finished, it didn't look like she'd done anything particularly magical, or anything that much different than what I did, but the touch of a professional girl was obvious. My hair looked ridiculously good. I think I would have stood there for a while, staring at myself, if she hadn't pulled me back into the bedroom and began thrusting clothing items at me.

I spent the next hour and a half marching back and forth between the bathroom and her room, wearing what seemed like innumerable outfits, some of which I liked and some that looked ridiculous. I knew before I stepped in front of her sticker-rimmed full-length mirror for what I estimated to be the eight hundred and seventy-third time that I had the outfit I wanted. I had seen it already in the bathroom and now I just needed approval from the fashion monster.

It wasn't elaborate. It was only a pair of jeans and a tank top. It was subtle. I looked nice but not like I had _tried_ to look nice and casual enough that they could be my own clothes. The tank top wasn't plain jersey knit, I was some kind of soft, slightly shiny fabric but not satin. It was lower cut than I generally wore but not night club attire.

"I like this shirt," I said. "It kind of reminds me of the color of red roses when they're wilting . . ." It was a purpley-red shade that was much brighter than my usual color choices.

"Um, goth much?"

Yeah, that was weird. Why did I say that . . .

"You can have it. I never wear it," she said looking at me in the mirror over my shoulder. Then she reached over and hooked a necklace out of a tangle of other glittering metal ribbons on top of her dresser. Here again, that touch of girl instinct showed itself. The necklace was a small, dark-colored chain that held a single, round pendant. A piece of red glass with a female cameo etched in it. She put it on me and settled my hair back into place. She'd done nothing but put a stupid string of metal around my neck but it changed the whole thing. I looked . . . different. Older. Which was good. Or bad. Him thinking I was experienced was probably as bad as him thinking I was innocent and sheltered.

"You look hot," she said. There a little hint of jealousy in her tone that surprised me but she smiled and said, "You can have the necklace, too."

I looked at myself again. I wasn't generally a fair judge of my own attractiveness but I was pretty sure she was right about this. I did look hot.

"I'd make out with you," she said and I wasn't entirely sure she was kidding. She laughed when I made a nervous movement away from her. "Chill. I'm not a lezbo."

I gathered my old clothes and went to the bathroom to change again. I was holding the new outfit, sloppily folded, in my arms when I came back.

"Here," she said, tossing a small backpack at me. "You look homeless enough walking around in that mess without carrying an armful of hand-me-down clothes with you."

I pushed the jeans into the bag first and then placed the shirt on top carefully before zipping it shut.

"So where's he taking you?"

I almost dropped the bag.

"What?"

"Jacob. I assume you guys have some fancy date or you wouldn't be here letting me put girl clothes on you."

"Oh, uh, no, I was just kind of bored. Jacob is out of town this weekend, actually. I just thought it would be fun to hang out with you . . ."

"God, you're a _terrible_ liar, Swan. It's a good thing you never do anything bad, your dad would see right through any lame story you tried to tell him."

She was right. About the lying and the never doing anything bad. Maybe that's what it was. Maybe I just wanted to do something bad. Maybe I'd go cliff diving instead of secretly meeting strange older men in secluded parking lots . . .

"What am I lying about?" I was trying to sound skeptical but instead came off like a teenager being interrogated by cops about a TP'ing incident.

"You're gonna to see someone. Is it that guy from the coffee shop?"

_What the fuck!_

"What guy?" Even worse. Now I sounded like I was about to confess to every petty crime I had ever committed with a slight push.

"Ugh. Stop pretending. You're being boring. Andrea told me there's this freaky guy who looks like a serial killer who's totally stalking you at work."

"He's not stalking me," I said. There was no point acting coy anymore. My face heated up as extra blood rushed to it clearly illustrating my feelings on the topic. "And he doesn't look like a serial killer. She's just mad that he wasn't interested in her."

"Oh ho! But he _is_ interested in you! Nice." I forgotten she and Andrea were friends. Sort of. They competed with each other more than anything. In this town, Jessica was definitely the new Andrea and it wouldn't be many years before she would take the throne completely as town hot girl. It was weird that we were even friends. "So what _does_ he look like?"

I thought for a second and then laughed. "Um, like a vampire?"

"Hmm, could be hot."

"He has long hair . . ."

"Promising . . ."

" . . . I think he's foreign."

"No wonder Andrea was jealous. He sounds yummy."

I didn't know anyone else who could non-ironically call other human beings "yummy" without it seeming contrived but it was actually on the low side of the scale for ridiculous things Jessica commonly said.

"I doubt you'd like him in person. He's older." I was suddenly feeling possessive.

"Whatever, that's hot. What kind of older? Like Johnny Depp? Or Tom Cruise?"

"Um. Neither. But closer to Depp I guess. He's kind of . . . odd-looking like that."

Maybe sensing my discomfort she said, "Calm down, I'm not going to steal your man. I'm just curious. Andrea made this whole thing seem pretty intense. I think her words were," she put on a snotty, high-pitched voice, "'It was_ totally gross_, I thought they were going to start _making out_ right there in the middle of the restaurant.'"

I didn't need to blush again because my face still hadn't gone back to normal yet. "She's dumb," I managed to say, "it's nothing like that. He's nice that's all. He's not 'my' man anyway."

"Uh huh," she said knowingly. "You like him though."

I wanted to protest but I didn't know what to say. I wanted someone to talk to and there wasn't anyone else.

"He wants me to go out with him tomorrow."

"Ah ha! I knew it. You skank," she said affectionately. "That's why you came here to get all tarted up."

"This is a bad idea."

"What? Going out with him? Hell no! You need to do something stupid and dangerous, you're so boring I'm shocked you haven't died from it."

"Why do you think it's stupid and dangerous?"

"Because I know Andrea and while she _was_ being a jealous bitch, I sensed she wasn't kidding about him being kind of creepy."

"Oh." I couldn't very well insist he wasn't. Even I thought he was a little creepy.

"But it's cool because now I know you'll be with him so if you disappear or we find you in little pieces I can tell the sexy FBI agents that it was your scary vampire lover that did it. No worries."

"Comforting. And I'm pretty sure most FBI agents don't look like the ones in movies, Jess."

"Whatever. I have seen the true crime shows on that one murdery channel. There are some hot FBI guys, trust me."

I was going to comment on her watching shows about violent deaths for the eye candy but she got in first with a question I was hoping we would get by.

"What about Jacob?"

"What about him?"

"Did you break up?"

"No." I began fiddling with the zipper on the backpack which I'd only just registered was pink and had the word "princess" bedazzled on it.

"Oooh, jumping into being bad with both feet! Don't worry, I don't judge. And I won't tell."

I was grateful that she wasn't going to say anything but also a bit unnerved by how okay she was with the concept of me cheating on my boyfriend and helping me keep it a secret.

"_Please_ do not tell _Andrea_," I said seriously, hoping she would correctly interpret the desperation on my face without me having to elaborate.

"Are you kidding? I love knowing stuff that whore doesn't know, I'm not to going to give up my secrets to her. Knowing things is power."

And knowledge is only power if you can use it at some point. I shouldn't have said anything.

I would rectify that by at least not saying more. "Well, I should go, um, thanks for the shirt. This was . . . fun."

"Whatever, you hated it," she said, smiling. "I'm glad I got to see you for once though. You've been working or with Jacob every second since graduation."

That was true, actually, I worked nearly every day. I think maybe I had a vague idea about saving enough money to move away from Forks on my own.

"Yeah, I know, we'll hang out more now, I promise."

"Psh, not now that you have_ two_ boyfriends."

I didn't try to argue this because it was pointless. My life was not about to get less complicated from here on no matter what I did.

"Um, so what was that thing that you used on my hair, on the blow dryer . . ." I touched the side of my head nervously.

She gasped. "You _really_ like him!" She tugged me into the bathroom and opened the cabinet under the sink. There was a frightening mass of tangled cords and trays full of a staggering array of cosmetics, from which she pulled a second blow dryer, it had an attachment on the end like hers, slightly smaller. She pulled it off and handed it to me. "My cousin left hers here last summer. You can have it." I took it and forced it in the bag which was stuffed now. She watched me, grinning. "You total skank!" She said again, proudly, slapping my arm. "You owe me a phone call about this at least."

I smiled noncommittally. She walked me to the door and shouted after me, "Make sure any hickeys he gives you are where Jacob won't see them!"

I walked backwards to talk to her. "I'm going to pretend that's something you also picked up off of TV. But hopefully not on the murdery channel."

She gave me a saucy look and shut the door. I turned around and continued down her driveway which was really more like just walking through a clearing in the woods with tire tracks in it. I was actually sort of glad to have been forced to walk here because walking back killed time and the sound of my feet on the damp pine needles was comforting and kept my mind clear. I counted my steps until I got to the street and then counted cracks in the pavement after that.

It was nice. Until it started raining. Which I should have expected, but I was so anxious when I left my house, I hadn't grabbed my raincoat. Or any coat. And now I was getting soaked. I was suddenly grateful for the stupid princess backpack because it was made out of that really thick, ugly backpack fabric which I was sure would be water proof enough to keep my stuff relatively dry until I got home. I wished I had put the jeans on top though.

I was looking down at my feet, trying to keep my face dry and just following the familiar pavement landmarks home but I looked up when I heard a car horn, afraid I was about to wander into the road accidentally. A small black car, the type I couldn't have told you even if it weren't sheeting rain, was parked on the side of the highway. The back window rolled down a few inches and a pale, delicate little face appeared.

"Bella!"

It was Alice Cullen. We'd graduated together. We weren't really friends but she was always nice to me.

"Come on we'll give you a ride," she shouted over the hissing cascade.

"Oh, no, that's okay. I don't want to get your car wet and it's right there." I was gesturing into the trees in a pointless way as you couldn't have seen my house if we standing across the street from it right now.

She pushed the door open. "It's going to get wetter if you don't get in so I can close the door!" She had this beautiful, almost musical voice. It made me think about what sirens who wreck ships must sound like. Fitting since I was going to drown out here. I took my backpack off and got in. Alice had moved over to accommodate me. Her boyfriend, Jasper, was on the other side of her. He gave me a friendly wave. The door shutting had dulled the sound of the rain and it was oddly silent inside of the car. And cold. Why didn't they have the heat on?

"Where's your truck, Bella?" Alice asked brightly.

"Dead. It died before work yesterday, I was just walking back from Jessica's . . ."

"If I had known you had no transportation, I could have given you a ride home last night," said a soft, warm voice from the front seat.

I looked over slowly, hoping maybe I was wrong, that voice could be someone else, right? Nope. It was him. My new "friend" was, for some awful and unknowable reason, driving my rescue car. I felt suddenly carsick even though we weren't moving yet.

"Oh, hey, Bella, this is my uncle, he's visiting for a few weeks," Alice said, cheerfully. "But it sounds like you've met."

_Their uncle._ I came close to leaping from the car and running off into the woods right then but somehow maintained my composure.

"Um, yeah. I mean, sort of. He's a customer at my work, uh, at the restaurant," I clarified like maybe I had another job I could have been referring to, possibly as a stripper, because the way I said it definitely made it sound like he was a "customer" and I was hoping it was just paranoia that made me feel that way. "We've never actually been introduced though," I said, deciding to exploit this situation at least, to offset everything horrifying about it.

"That's true, we have not," he said, before anyone could jump in. "I'm Aro."

_Aro._ I could have guessed until the day I died and not gotten that. I made myself give a nice-to-meet-you smile rather than a haha-I-win one. I was about to introduce myself unnecessarily when the front passenger spoke.

"Why were you at a restaurant?"

I knew _that_ voice. His question was rude and demanding. Typical. Edward, Alice's supposed twin brother but I had never met two people less alike. In every way Alice was delightful, which was many ways, Edward was unpleasant. It was weird because when he first moved here, I thought he might be cool. He even asked me out once but then he was distant and silent the entire night and took me home early. It was bizarre and I had almost forgotten about it until now.

Aro smiled at him sweetly. "Just seeing the town, Edward," he said. But his eyes flickered to me on the word "town". Did anyone else see that?

And then I realized that he was seeing _me_. Like _this_. I thought I looked passable when I was dry and wearing clean clothing, but I was absolutely certain that drenched, wearing an old yellow t-shirt and hugging an ugly backpack I wished had thought to face inward, I looked like a cartoonish version of that girl from The Ring.

"How do I get to your house, Bella?" Aro addressed me. I was surprised to find I was disappointed he didn't call me by my full name. Which was the first time that had ever happened ever.

"Oh, well, it's the other way—"

Edward cut in and said, "I can show you, _Uncle_."

Everyone in the car, including me, flinched and tried to hide it. This was uncomfortable. Was he _not_ their uncle? They were all adopted anyway I thought so it was kind of a mean thing to say. It was apparent that Edward didn't like him. But since _I_ didn't like _Edward_ it was just a point in favor of Aro who was still looking at me and not Edward. "Lovely," he said, in way that if I hadn't looked awful, would have made me think he was talking about me.

As we drove through the rain, I noticed that he was slowing down for turns and changing lanes a fraction of a second before Edward instructed him to. He knew where I lived already. I didn't know how and I wasn't sure if I should be creeped out by it.

The rain had abated a little when we got to my house. Everyone except Edward turned to me when we stopped.

"Um, thanks for the ride," I said awkwardly when none of them spoke.

"See you, Bella," Jasper said with another short wave.

"We should hang out, Bella. I haven't seen you since graduation," Alice said.

We had never hung out_ before_ graduation. It seemed a little out of the blue.

"Um, sure, okay."

"Are you busy this weekend?"

I didn't look at Aro. I felt like it would be revealing. "I have something tomorrow afternoon and I work on Sunday night." Danielle had asked me to take a shift this time. "I have Monday off . . ."

"Great! Come to our house after dinner," she said cheerily.

Who invites someone over_ after_ dinner?

"Um sure, okay. I don't actually know if my car will be running by then. Jacob was going to work on it but he'll only just be back on Monday so . . . "

"One of us will come for you," Aro said smoothly and I heard Edward scoff loudly.

One of us. So he was staying with them. It should have been obvious. There weren't any hotels you'd want to stay in around here. He would be there. I would see him again for sure. Which could be bad if tomorrow went badly. But I could just back out then. Easy. Done.

I nodded, trying to seem cool but my heartbeat had sped up significantly. I was glad now for the backpack because I was certain you would have been able to see it beating through my chest. Edward looked at Aro and made an angry noise.

"We're at your house, Bella. You can get out anytime," Edward said.

Alice looked at me apologetically as I got out. I didn't look at Aro until the last second. I tried to thank him again for the ride but the words caught in my throat and I made a nice choking sound instead and settled for waving. He smiled at me politely. I was completely grotesque and bumbling. He had to have been regretting asking me to go anywhere with him.

I didn't look back as they drove away, I was facing the door, pretending to be getting my keys. It wasn't even locked but I didn't want to go inside yet because Charlie's cruiser was in front now and I was sure I looked completely insane. When the car sounds had disappeared I let my head fall forward on the damp wood of the door. It had been an odd, disorienting day. I felt both mortified and exhilarated. I finally opened the door.

"I ordered a pizza," Charlie called from his usual place in the living room.

"Great," I managed to squeak out. "I'm going upstairs to change. I got rained on a little bit." I raced for the stairs before he could say anything else and realized I wasn't breathing until I had shut my bedroom door. I took off my clothes and put on clean, dry pajamas. I still needed to wash everything in that giant pile, and probably the stuff in the backpack now as well. I scooped and kicked all the dirty clothes into a pile, and because I needed something to do, I actually sorted them before grabbing the dark clothes, complete with my borrowed jeans, and heading for the door.

The phone rang. It was still sitting on my bed. I inched toward it. Unknown number. Oh God, he was calling to cancel. I didn't want him to. If I didn't answer he couldn't . . . but I didn't want Charlie answering so I dropped the clothes at my feet and snatched it up. I pressed the button before I was ready to talk and had to take a few shuddery breaths before I could finally say hello.

"Bella."

It was definitely him.

"Yeah, um hi. Hey, thanks for the ride. I was going to thank you before but I was a little messed up earlier . . . cause of the rain. And stuff."

"Edward."

"Um, yeah, kind of that. He's never been, like, buddies with me but today was weird. He was never rude like that before."

"Well, he's a little entitled. I actually called to apologize about that."

That made me smile stupidly.

"That's okay, you didn't do anything."

"Yes, but the reason he was acting that way is because of me so I feel a little responsible."

"Why because of you?"

"He doesn't want me spending time with you."

"Well, that's none of his business. _I_ want you spending time with me." I slapped my hand over my face. That sounded far more like an invitation for him to put his tongue in my mouth than it should have.

He laughed softly. "Well I want me spending time with you as well. If you still want to go out tomorrow."

"Yes, yeah. I want to go," I said, thinking I did an okay job of not sounding as desperate as I felt.

"Wonderful. Only, can we move the time up a little bit to one o'clock?"

Less time to wait and obsess? Absolutely. "Sure. I can do that."

"Good, then I will, again, see you tomorrow, Bella."

"Why are you calling me that?"

"Your name?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, you're calling me, 'Bella.' You were calling me, 'Isabella,' before . . ." _'Because you thought it was pretty,'_ I didn't add.

"Alice said you didn't like being called by your proper name."

"Oh, yeah. Well I don't usually. But I like, I mean, it sounds nice when you say it . . ."

"I like it better as well. Isabella." He said my name as a near whisper, like he was saying it to himself and I was just overhearing him. My insides did a rather terrifying thing by liquifying and then turning both hot and cold at once.

I waited, hoping he would say something else. Then I heard the doorbell and reluctantly admitted I needed to go. I clung to the sound of his voice as he said goodbye, reminding myself I would see him tomorrow.

When I opened the door I was unpleasantly surprised to find that the delivery driver was a friend of Jacob's, like a well-timed spy sent to catch me in my borderline infidelity.

"Hey Bella! I put extra sauce in there when I saw your address."

Oh, perfect, special treatment because of who I was. I'm sure I could look forward to a different kind of special treatment when I was exposed as a dirty cheater. But I hadn't done anything yet, I reminded myself. I was innocent. Externally. Internally I had already thought a number of completely inappropriate things. I over-tipped him out of guilt.

I ate in a trance and claiming exhaustion from cleaning all day, I said I was going to bed early. I was reminded that I still hadn't done my laundry when a sweatshirt sleeve wrapped itself, tentacle-like, around my ankle as I walked unconsciously over the pile on the way to my bed. I'd do it in the morning. I knew I would have plenty of time as I would wake up unreasonably early the way I did on every day I had something important happening. He _was_ something important and I couldn't pretend he wasn't.

I realized I didn't feel at all afraid of meeting Aro alone and going on some mystery adventure. I should, probably, but now that I knew he had family here, I thought it was less likely that he was a roving maniac. Especially since that family knew me and at least one of them knew he was friends with me.

Edward. What the fuck was his problem anyway?

Ug. I hated that guy.

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END NOTES:

Okay. So, **_Jessica_**. I really intended to just use her here as filler but then she turned out to be amazing and sort of became a main character. Which is cool because _I love Anna Kendrick._ Some of her dialogue is based on my friends from high school in the Pacific-Northwest so it's super authentic! And also embarrassing. And offensive. Sorry.

For readers outside of the U.S., **409** is a common brand of household cleaning product here. Not sure if anywhere else has it. Maybe Canada. Anyway, it's said "four-oh-nine". So there you go, useless trivia lovers, sound super sophisticated at your next party by using your new knowledge of international cleansers! Yeah!


	3. Close Your Eyes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

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AN~I should probably clarify some timeline here for you. In this story, Bella moves to Forks at the _beginning_ of her Junior year just after Renee marries Phil instead of halfway through. The Cullens don't live there yet. They show up Senior year. This story opens mid-summer a year _after_ high school graduation when Bella is about to turn nineteen.

Now, my husband infuriatingly pointed out that this would mean Edward would not be there to rescue Bella from Tyler's runaway van that winter and she would have been squished. I petulantly told him to shut his face. We're pretending that never happened.

9.5k chapter!

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**3**

Charlie had a fishing trip planned that next morning and left well before it was light outside so I didn't have to conceal any of my getting ready activities which were far more elaborate than anything I usually did. I had talked myself into and then out of a hyper-paranoid state of agitation concerning the number of people who already knew about us. Sherry and Andrea for sure and probably everyone else at the coffee shop as well. And _stupid Edward Cullen_. And Jessica. That's when it became apparent just how bad I was at hiding things. Already, the two biggest loud mouths in Forks knew and I had gone ahead and told one of them personally.

I wanted plenty of time to walk to the school to avoid arriving all tired and sweaty so I showered early. I dried my hair, trying to copy what I had seen Jessica do yesterday. I didn't utterly fail. It at least looked far better than usual.

I looked in the mirror after I had put the necklace on and saw that it definitely moved the outfit just past casual. I wasn't wearing makeup but I was still nervous I would look overdone. I left the necklace on though. Its prettiness made me feel finished and slightly more confident. And it couldn't really be a bad thing if he thought I looked _too nice_, right? Except we were supposed to be only friends.

I grabbed my raincoat. It was large, ugly and dull yellow. It went to mid-thigh and made me look like a popsicle that had been dropped in a mud puddle. Well, there went any concern about looking inappropriately sexy. I flipped the hood up. I didn't know if it would rain but I wasn't taking any chances with the most the most effort I, personally, had ever taken on my hair. Jessica had talked me into this bizarre thing for prom which resembled a bird's nest full of discarded jewelry, but I definitely didn't do that crazy mess myself.

It started to sprinkle halfway to the school and I was glad for my unflattering coat. I had my head down to keep my face covered but knew I had reached the high school when the pavement changed abruptly from the old, pale grey sidewalk to the slightly newer dark grey entrance to the parking lot. I looked at my watch. I was twenty minutes early. And I would have to stand and wait because the curbs were all wet. I went straight for the A building which had an overhang I could shelter under. I knew the trajectory to it perfectly without looking as I had made this trip every day during my two years going to school there. I glanced up as I got close to avoid encountering one of those giant cement blocks they put at the top of parking spaces which had tripped me spectacularly on multiple occasions.

A black car was already in the lot, parked in front of the building I was going toward. The same one from yesterday. He was early too. I felt myself smile goofily and hurried without running the rest of the distance.

When I was five feet away, the door opened. I held my breath. Until I saw Edward.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, as rude he was yesterday.

"The same thing as you, Bella."

"Okay . . . so you're meeting a friend of yours in a parking lot?"

"_A friend of yours?_ Wow. I thought you were smart when we were in school together."

"What the hell is your problem, Edward?" I was getting seriously pissed off now.

"My problem is that you have no idea who my 'uncle' is. You are in a lot of danger right now and I'm not going to just let something like that happen to you if I can prevent it."

"Why do you even care? You hate me!"

"I don't hate you. I'm trying to help you. He's not a safe person for you to be spending time with, Bella."

"If he's so _dangerous,_ then why is he staying at your house? And why is Alice okay with him?"

"Because he isn't a danger to us, only to you."

"_Why_?"

"I can't say. Saying would place you in the danger I'm talking about a lot faster."

"Oh, well then, now that that's all cleared up, I guess you're done, goodbye now!" I said with as much malice as I could.

"Oh no, I'm going to stay here until _dear Uncle Aro_ arrives. I figured you wouldn't listen to me but I thought I would try at least. He'll have to listen though."

"But you must have already talked to him about this so why the hell are you_ here_?"

"Because I need you to be there this time. It makes my point more effective."

"Whatever. This isn't any of your business but whatever." I stomped over to the building, my giddy mood completely spoiled by the unwelcome appearance of the biggest asshole I knew. He didn't get back into his car. He was leaning against the side utterly, eerily actually, still. It was just barely raining now and I watched as the shoulders of his shirt slowly darkened and his hair drooped slightly as it dampened but he didn't seem bothered by this in any way.

His sincerity was unsettling but he'd never given me any reason to trust him before so I tried to brush away the small knot of anxiety his warnings had caused. We weren't friends. And I didn't want to believe him now. If he was going to wait until Aro got here then I would give the person I actually liked a chance to explain before I wrote him off based on the detail-less ranting of someone I didn't like.

It was only a few more minutes before a second car turned into the parking lot. A grey BMW. I could see Aro's long dark hair and pale face through the windshield. He parked next to the black car and got out calmly. He didn't appear surprised to see Edward. I came forward quickly. Aro took in my over-large yellow coat and smiled at me. I locked my knees to prevent myself from falling over.

"You can't do this, Aro. You know it isn't right and I won't let you," Edward said. But he sounded a lot less forceful than he had when just talking to me. He was afraid of Aro.

"I really don't see why anything I do has anything to do with you, Edward," Aro said smoothly, and then turning to me without pause said, "You may put your overcoat in the back seat. It should have dried by the time we get back to town." His voice rich and kind now, a strange contrast to the way he was speaking to Edward, which was formal and polite but cool.

I took off my coat and placed it, rain side up, on the seat. When I turned, they were both staring at me and I was instantly self-conscious and wishing very much that I had not worn this shirt which suddenly felt a lot lower cut than it did when I put it on in my room. Edward looked mildly sickened which made me feel even worse. Aro's eyes were on my throat, on the red pendant hanging there. I saw him swallow.

Edward backed up a step with a slight grimace like I was suddenly putting off a harsh odor, then rounded on Aro more fiercely than before. "Stop this. Now. Before you go too far. This isn't right and you know it!"

Was it the age difference? He was making way too big of a deal if it was. Maybe Aro was married. Still seemed like an overreaction. And really none of his business.

"We have different ideas about what is 'right', nephew. Now, if you will excuse us, I promised Miss Swan an interesting afternoon. Of which I do not wish you to be a part."

I opened the passenger door and Edward's hand shot out, grabbing it and holding it so I couldn't move it at all in either direction.

"I'll tell her. I'll tell her right now," he said.

Aro didn't respond immediately. He was watching me with a sort of intense longing that was almost uncomfortable.

"Um, are you married or something?" I asked, looking past Edward's arm at him.

"You should wish that was the problem, Bella. No, I'm afraid it's far worse than that . . ."

"_You_ are the only one who thinks so," Aro said. "Just because you are miserable, Edward, it doesn't mean everyone would be. I think I have more experience than you in this area. And you should feel glad that I always offer a choice."

"Not much of a choice by the time they know is it!? _Change or die?_"

_Holy shit, what?_

"Carrying out your threat of revelation, you realize, would put _you_ in peril," Aro answered softly.

"Maybe I don't care."

"Your angst was cute at first, but it's getting tiresome. If you're unhappy, go to Italy. I'm certain Uncle Caius and Cousin Felix would love to have a visit from you. In the meantime, it would be nice if you would let other people make their own choices. You know, like you would have liked."

"She's only eighteen," he said weakly. "It's just not right."

So it _was_ the age difference. At least partially.

"I'm an adult, Edward. And I am capable of making my own choices," I said. I was looking at Aro though who smiled affectionately at me and then we both turned to Edward. This finally made him let go and step back but he was visibly distressed as he did it. I got in the car and closed the door. I glanced at Edward again after doing my seatbelt. He was watching us sadly. I was sure most people would have thought Edward's behavior was jealousy but that didn't feel right. I didn't think he was interested in me that way.

Aro was sitting next to me a moment later. Now this was the closest we had ever been. I didn't feel afraid and I tried to fish around carefully for some hidden hint of unease I was unconsciously covering up. I found nothing, but Edward's words had had an impact and in opposition to my bold little declaration about being an adult, I _was_ just a teenage girl and Aro could easily be dangerous and I just didn't see it through the cloud of hormones that engulfed me as soon as I got anywhere near him.

"Did he frighten you?" he asked kindly.

I wanted to be brave and say 'no' but I felt like honesty was a better choice. "A little. He said some kind of scary things about you. Like that whole bit about dying."

"Well, he's a bit melodramatic. I can assure you that if it's in my power, you will live for a very long time. And it certainly won't be by my hand if you meet an untimely demise. I couldn't hurt you." He reached out like he was going to touch my face and then redirected to my hair, letting a lock of it slip between his fingers for a moment. I was very aware that Edward was still there, watching us, which was good because it kept me from leaning into this unexpected caress in a far too revealing way.

"Hold out your hand," he said.

"Why?" My eyes darted to Edward nervously. I didn't want him to see anything physical occurring between us. Aro touching my hair like that was enough.

"Because I have a present for you." He was apparently unfazed by the presence of his fake nephew, still standing undecidedly in the rain next to his own car.

"I said I didn't want presents. I just wanted to know your name and I know it already."

"Yes, but that happened last night leaving you without anything today which is when I promised you a gift. So I got brought you something else."

"Maybe I don't want it."

"That is impossible as you do not know what it is."

I sighed and put my hand out, palm up.

"Close you eyes," he instructed.

I did and a moment later I felt something small and light drop into my palm.

"Can I open my eyes?"

"Well you certainly don't have to but if you're expecting more presents, you'll be waiting for some time."

I brought my hand back in front of me before opening my eyes. It was a name tag. Exactly like my one from work only it read, "ISABELLA." I wasn't sure how to react. I glanced up and saw that Edward was getting into his car, looking frustrated.

"You don't have to wear it," Aro said. "It's just that _this_ is the name of the person I am starting to know, who I think is very pleasant. I have this feeling that you don't let a lot of other people see that person and I think you should. So it's an opportunity, if you wish, to let other people start knowing my Isabella rather than the Bella they're used to who doesn't seem nearly as wonderful."

"Um, that was very sweet right up until you insulted who I am to everyone I know. . ."

"That was maybe poorly worded. I only meant that the Bella I've observed doesn't seem particularly happy but you, Isabella_,_ are not like that. You're sweet and smart and funny and I think you should let other people know _that_ person. Is that better?"

"It's not worse."

He reversed out of the parking space. Edward was still sitting in his car, staring at the dashboard morosely.

"So I'm 'your' Isabella?" I asked when we were on the highway.

"Do you currently allow anyone else to call you by that name?"

"Not really."

"Well then, if I'm the only one who knows you by it, then you are _my_ friend, Isabella."

"Ah. See you didn't say 'friend' before. You just said 'my' like you own me."

"Well then we have had a misunderstanding because I cannot possess you, obviously. You are not an object and romantically speaking you are already taken, as I was so devastatingly informed a few nights back after being brave enough to approach you with my tragically inept offer of courtship."

"Courtship? Are you four hundred years old?"

"No."

"How old are you?"

"About three thousand."

"Three thousand what?"

"Years, of course. Is there another way to indicate age?" He looked so serious for a minute that I almost thought he was. Not that I thought he was three thousand years old but I thought _he_ might think that and I was in alone a car with the kind of dangerous mentally ill stranger you see in movies who is totally charismatic and normal until you get them alone and then it's all mummified rocking chair moms and suits made of human skin. But then he grinned at me and I relaxed. He was kidding. I think.

"How old you think I am?" He asked.

With a woman, I would have shot low automatically because that's what you do. I didn't know what to say to a man so I just said the oldest maximum age that didn't make me feel gross for liking him and hoped he was significantly younger.

"Forty . . . two?"

"Closer to thirty-nine, but I'm flattered that you were willing to come out with me considering you think I'm so ancient. Rather shocking for someone your age isn't it?"

"Not so much anymore. But, yeah, still a little bit in a town like Forks. People have nothing else to do so they might _say_ they disapprove but really, they'd love something scandalous to talk about."

"Are you intending to do something scandalous with me, Miss Swan?"

I couldn't stop myself from blushing. He breathed in suddenly through his mouth like someone had snuck up and grabbed him from behind.

"No," I said shakily. "I still have that boyfriend I've been talking about."

"No you haven't."

"Did you see me break up with him sometime since I got in the car because . . ."

"I mean you haven't been talking about him. I only know his name because you said it last night in connection with your broken automobile."

"Right. Well, I didn't really think you'd want to know about him."

"You must think I'll make a very bad friend if it's assumed already that I would have no interest in the other people in your life."

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"How old is he?"

"Two years younger than me."

"So you're already used to shocking the tiny hamlet of Forks with your choice of dating partners with unconventional age gaps."

"It's hardly shocking. If you saw him, you'd understand."

"Why is that?"

"Because he doesn't _look_ younger than me. If anything he looks a lot old—" Dammit.

He smiled but didn't comment on that. "And does this impressively rugged underage inamorato of yours attend the high school where we've just rendezvoused?"

"No, he doesn't actually live in Forks, he belongs to the Quileute Indian tribe over in La Push."

He tensed visibly when I said this. "You're dating a Quileute boy?" He asked carefully.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"No, of course not. So when you said that he was out of town you meant he was in La Push?"

"No, La Push is only a half an hour away. I meant he wasn't at home."

"Is he in Seattle?"

"Why do you care where Jacob is?" His questions were going past mild curiosity now and it was making me feel defensive.

"It's just that the Quileute have a rather odd history. There are stories about . . . unusual things."

"Such as . . .?"

He must have noted the bald skepticism in my tone because he immediately backed off and said, "You know what, it's nothing. I'm sorry. Silly myths. I used to have an interest in the supernatural when I was younger and so I just know a lot of legends. I won't bore you with questions. That's why we have the internet."

But I could tell it wasn't some hobby-based interest that had caused his reaction. Something about me having a connection with Jacob's tribe unnerved him. I sensed I shouldn't press it so I just shrugged and looked out at the trees zipping by on either side of us. I didn't make the drive down the coast all that often, usually it was up to Port Angeles or Seattle if I ever left Forks and I had forgotten how pretty it was. But it was also bringing on a sort of slow melancholy. Talking about Jacob reminded me of just how much I cared about him and how long we'd known each other and how awful what I was doing was. I couldn't be charged with anything official at this point but I was definitely putting myself on the path to committing an unforgivable crime against someone who had always been nothing but amazing to me since the day we reconnected after I moved back to Forks nearly three years ago.

It had been silent in the car for a good fifteen minutes and the awful, guilty sadness was getting worse the further we drove. I put my fingers up and pressed on my temples, trying to force my brain to reset and just let me behave normally until I could get safely, and with a clear conscience, back to Forks again.

"Are you all right?" he asked. I felt the car slow.

"Yeah, I just think I'm feeling a little car sick." Oh good, mention barfing. That's hot. But it didn't really matter now as I was feeling distinctly less giddy about this little adventure than I was when we left Forks.

"Would you like to stop?"

"No, it's fine. I'm fine."

"I feel like I am continually saying something upsetting to you."

"You're not. This is all just very confusing. And inconvenient."

"Why is it confusing?"

"Because you don't want to be friends with me."

"I thought I said I did."

"You don't want to be _just_ friends with me."

"No. But neither do you want to be just friends with me."

"I shouldn't be here. This isn't right. Jacob's my best friend."

"But you aren't in love with him," he said. It was sympathetic and soft, the way an _actual_ just friend would have said it. "Or you would not be here with me."

I couldn't answer. It wouldn't be fair to Jacob to discuss my feelings about him with a person I was teetering on the edge of cheating on him with.

"Not having anything to do with me, I can tell you that staying with someone you don't love to avoiding hurting them is hurting them worse than if you left. There is nothing worse than being with someone who does not love you when you love them."

"What about being hacked to death with machetes?" I knew I was going to cry if I didn't lift this conversation out of the dark pit it was about to dive into.

"No, probably not that, but at least the pain would end quicker." He was smiling but it was cheerless.

The insinuation was clear: The pain I was causing Jacob would only end when I ended it and right now I was just dragging it out.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." My voice cracked. I bit my lip but it wasn't enough. I turned my face completely away from him, trying uselessly to hide the fact that I was actually going to cry now.

He stopped the car. When I opened my eyes, I saw the ocean. We had traveled down the 101 to the short stretch of highway that parallels the water before cutting inland again.

I opened my door and stumbled out into the salty air. A fierce sea breeze caught my bare arms, reminding me that I was not wearing a coat and dressed absolutely ridiculously for the coast of Washington even in the summer. What was I doing here? This was the stupidest thing I had ever done. I walked up to the short stone wall that separated the road from a steep drop into the icy water below and placed my hands on the cold, sandy rocks.

The briny air on my face helped revive me a bit and I was able to stop crying before it became hysterical. He came and sat down on the wall with his back to the water, giving me several feet of space.

"I'm sorry, Aro. I shouldn't have come here with you. It wasn't fair to you or Jacob."

"I'm all right," he said. "I'm grateful I was able to spend any time at all with you, even if it means you won't agree to see me again. This is my fault so please do not feel badly. I should not have pushed after you told me you were seeing someone already."

"I could have said 'no' still."

We were staring at each other now. He scooted closer until he was right next to me but not touching.

"I wanted to come," I said.

His hand hovered over mine for a moment like he was going to hold it but then drifted up my arm, still not making contact, just sweeping the air around my skin like he was afraid of touching me. Finally he stopped at my cheek and his fingertips grazed my jaw. I closed my eyes, I wasn't sure if he was going to kiss me but I wanted him to and I felt like if I saw it coming it would be a more conscious decision to cheat on Jacob than if it just happened. His palm relaxed against my cheek and I gasped, his skin was freezing and his hand felt odd and heavy. It was like laying my face against a marble floor. My eyes flew open and I saw that he was inches from me, paused, like he had intended to kiss me and something stopped him. He looked as shocked as I did, maybe more. He pulled away, dropping his hand after a few more seconds.

"I knew there was something," he said and it was almost a whisper. I'm not sure I was even supposed to hear it. "This is why Edward wouldn't let me see . . ."

"Let you? I thought it wasn't his business if we see each other."

"We should go back now."

"Oh. Um, okay." I was injured but it turned almost immediately to anger and confusion. I walked back to the car without looking at him again and got in, very methodically opening and closing my door and doing my seatbelt and then sitting, facing straight ahead with my hands flat on the seat on either side of me.

"Isabella—" he said when he was seated next to me.

"You seemed like you were in kind of a hurry to get back so we should probably start driving."

He turned on the car but didn't move yet.

"Things are . . . different than I thought they were. It is not anything wrong with you, but we need to go back now. We can do this another day."

"Uh huh," I said flatly. I wasn't looking at him but he was leaning far enough into my periphery that I saw his face register distress at my chilly response. Good. He was keeping some fucked-up secret from me, he could get his stupid feelings hurt as a consequence.

I told myself I was mad about the secrecy so I could use it to override my embarrassment about what had just happened. I felt ridiculous now dressed like this. I felt like . . . _Andrea_ even though this outfit wasn't anything nearly as trampy as her usual fare, I had still done it to get attention so I wasn't any different. I thought of the pity I always felt for her and how awful I would feel if someone were thinking that about me. Maybe he was.

I saw him look at me a few times but I didn't acknowledge it. When we drove into Forks he said, "I'm taking you to your house, it's much too cold to walk."

Charlie would still be gone so I didn't protest.

"I'm sorry," he said when we had stopped in front of my house.

"Sorry for what, Aro?" My voice was so calm and light it made even me uneasy. If I had just done to someone what he did to me I would be distinctly nervous if they were talking to me like that. "Are you sorry for keeping some frightening, apparently life-threatening secret from me? Or for dragging me out into the middle of nowhere after repeatedly telling me you like me and then—" I knew I couldn't finished that sentence without crying so I wisely stopped and changed direction mid-rant. "I think it's probably a good idea for you to just leave me alone I guess unless you're going to stop acting insane and maybe start being honest with me about what's really going on with you. And with the Cullens who are clearly not your relatives."

"I don't want to leave you alone," he said and he sounded so miserable I looked over at him without meaning to. Perfect, he was one of those people who looks really beautiful when they're sad. It kind of made me want to hit him which was probably an unnatural inclination I should discuss with a psychologist someday. Anyway it didn't matter how fucking pretty he looked right now or at any time. Nothing had changed in my life and I had had my ill-advised, and not-very-fun, it turned out, adventure. It was time to stop being ridiculous. This guy was weird, too old for me and . . . _fuck_, so pretty. Too pretty.

"I will if you wish it though," he added. "And I won't come to the coffee shop anymore. I only really came to see you anyway. I'm sorry, I'm probably not supposed to say that because it makes me sound obsessed. I'm not, I just . . . wanted to be near you because I think you're nice. But if you tell me to go I will, I promise."

He was going to make me say, "Yes, Aro, _please go away_." I couldn't do that. Not while he was making that face. I felt like I was being asked to kick a puppy down a flight of stairs. It wasn't the same suffocating clinginess I'd seen with boys my age, it was different. It wasn't hormonal desperation, it was some kind of profound vulnerability I didn't understand. People usually protected themselves from the type of high emotional risk he was taking by telling me this. It was like he'd never learned to filter his feelings, leaving the big, frightening ones for last.

"No. I just can't do all of the secrecy. So, you know, when you want to explain some things. Like why you're freezing and your skin feels like . . . stone," I touched his hand, he flinched but didn't pull away, in fact he stared at my fingers, resting on the back of his hand, with a perplexed expression I was too emotionally exhausted to try dissecting.

I retracted my hand and got out of the car. My coat was gone from the back seat when I went to get it. He was holding it out over the roof of the car. I took it, balling it up and crossing my arms over it protectively.

"I don't want to leave you alone," he said again only the stress was on the last word giving it a completely different meaning that made it hard to catch my breath suddenly.

"Well, that's up to you."

"What about Jacob?"

"What about him, Aro? We've known each other since we were kids, he was family to me before we even started dating, I'm not just going to break up with him for some random guy who I've known for a day. And who doesn't even _live_ here I might add!"

"I can live wherever I want to," he said.

Great. Perfect. Come live here. That would just un-complicate the fuck out of my life.

"Well, don't move for me," I said and started toward my house, leaving him standing at the car looking wounded.

I went inside and shut the door firmly, then went into the living room and looked out one of the front windows. At this time of day they were reflecting the sky and if I stayed back far enough he wouldn't be able to see me. He stood there looking dejected for a few moments and then got in the car. He reached over to where I had been sitting and picked up something. A little flash of red and white. My name tag. I actually hadn't meant to leave it in there but he probably thought I had done it intentionally. His pale fingers closed around it and he drove away with it still concealed in his hand. A tangible reminder of my rather harsh rejection.

My chest ached. I didn't want it to be this way. Everything seemed to be just left of where it should be. And it didn't feel like things were going wrong because being with him would be wrong in itself. Circumstance was our enemy. If he had just shown up five months ago, before I had officially started dating Jacob, this would have been fine.

Except that it wasn't Jacob that had stopped him from kissing me today. There was something else wrong on his end. If he would just tell me what was happening then it would be one less barrier between us.

The most likely advice anyone, well, anyone but Jessica, would probably give me would be to forget about this and return to my life. But I couldn't because this wasn't something trivial and it hadn't started on Wednesday night with me spilling coffee on myself while trying to talk to him. There was this . . . _thing_ between us. And it had been there since the first day he started coming to the coffee shop. It was impossible not to stare at him and I wasn't the only one. He was ridiculously out-of-place and not just for his hair and extreme pallor, he was wearing an obviously tailored and very expensive suit which absolutely cost more than the entire wardrobe of anyone in the restaurant. So, that day, at least, it wasn't odd to stare at him. It was every other time, after he had started to blend into the background as just another eccentric that it became something else and I tried very hard to hide that I continued to watch him whenever he came in. I thought I did okay at not getting caught but there was one time when he looked up at just the right second and we were suddenly staring at each other across the room, like people who knew each other but were trapped on either side of a great chasm, unable to speak over it or cross it. I looked away first and when I looked back he was reading again, ignoring everyone.

That was months ago, I realized. He had been coming to the shop for _months_. Just to see me. And I was taking extra shifts to see him. We were the most familiar strangers ever. Maybe that's why this had escalated so fast. There was a lot of anticipation involved here. And all of that waiting had created this situation where, in a normal relationship it would be getting-to-know-you time, with us it was like, "Meh, getting to know you seems tedious, let's just take our clothes off . . ."

I needed to end this now, I knew, before I hurt Jacob. It would mean canceling with Alice which was sad because I actually wanted to see her and I was kind of curious about their whole family. Other than Edward. The thought of going to their house and seeing him and Aro in the same place again was actually so off-putting I might have cancelled anyway even if today had gone well.

I would do it tomorrow. It wasn't late but I didn't want to talk to anyone. Especially not anyone connected with Aro. I went up and got into bed, not undressing past my shoes. I put my hand up and pinched the red glass pendant between my fingers. He had stared at it. I took it off and set it on my nightstand and then turned my back on it and closed my eyes.

I didn't know I had fallen asleep until I heard the front door close and opened my eyes to see my room was dark. Not full dark, twilight. And I bet every light in the house was off because I had fallen asleep in the afternoon and it was still light out then.

"Bella?" Charlie sounded a little worried.

"Yeah, I'm here!" I called back, trying to make my voice sound strong and not weird.

"You sound weird, you okay?"

Guess I did not succeed. "Oh, um, yeah I just took a nap. I didn't think I would sleep that long." I pulled a shirt on over the red tank top and opened my door so he could see I was awake, alive and not in any way raped, robbed or dismembered.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out and eat tonight. I thought we could go into Port Angeles."

Charlie never wanted to go out, which I usually agreed with but not being in the house tonight was a perfectly wonderful idea. And going out somewhere other than Forks was even more appealing.

"Okay, but we're taking my truck. I hate riding in the cruiser, everyone drives so slow."

"I thought the truck wasn't running."

"Oh, crap. I forgot. Okay well let me change so we can leave soon then since it will take a million years to get there."

I speed changed. I didn't worry too much about what I was wearing because I was just going out with Charlie and it was a relief after spending the last day actually obsessing about my appearance. Some girls did that crap every damned day. It must be exhausting.

I ended up in the same jeans, dirty grey Converse and a t-shirt with Shakespeare on it that read, "Prose before hoes." Renee had bought it on a trip to see Phil play in some random city. She always felt like she had to bring me something even if she was going to some nowhere, crappy place. I looked in the mirror. My hair was definitely bushier on one side than the other and there was a red mark on my face from sleeping on it. I looked fabulous. I zipped my sweatshirt over William's face and went downstairs.

Charlie had changed out of his fishing gear into jeans and a sweatshirt as well. We looked like frump twins.

It was actually a really nice night, The sky had cleared and you could see the stars. The road to Port Angeles was unusually empty for a Saturday night and it took a lot less time to get there then I had thought it would.

We ate pizza again. It was the easiest non-thought food and we both liked the same thing: Meat Lover's, no bacon.

Charlie was acting nervous I realized halfway into my second piece. It had taken me this long to notice because I was so preoccupied, despite my best efforts, with what had happened with Aro that afternoon.

"Hey, uh, I've got to go up to Seattle on Wednesday. Well, I need to be there on Thursday, but in the morning because I need to testify in that trial, you know, for that Nick guy we arrested in Forks last fall. Kind of pointless because he never actually did anything in Forks, he just happened to get caught there. Anyway, I'll gone for a night, maybe two if my testimony gets bumped. I'm not a main witness or anything so it's a when-they-get-to-me thing."

"Okay. That's fine. I'll be okay. I work those nights anyway."

"You've been working a lot of nights lately."

"Yeah, I uh, switched with Danielle, so she could take a class or something." Oh good, more lying! That was when you knew you were involved in a safe, healthy relationship when you were lying about anything you thought you could to cover up your involvement with that person. I had swapped shifts to see him more often. He almost always came in at night. It was embarrassing, actually. Everyone had to know. I wasn't good at intrigue.

"Huh. Well, we need to make sure your truck is running before I leave then, I don't want you walking at night."

"Jacob said he'd look at it when he gets back Monday. There's never been anything wrong with it he couldn't fix in a day."

"That's good. I'm glad you have Jacob. He's a good kid."

"I know. You should adopt him. You like him better than me."

"Well, he's better at fishing."

It was a standard Charlie joke but I was so wound up that I laughed a little louder than it warranted.

"Bella?" A male voice behind us said my name. I turned and for the first time in my life, I was glad to see Mike Newton. Because it wasn't Aro. Or Edward. Jessica was behind him, chattering into a cell phone. She saw me and raised her eyebrows several times. Oh, crap. I hoped she would see Charlie before blurting something stupid.

"Heeeeey, Bella," She said, snapping her phone shut and slipping onto the bench next to me.

"Hi, Jessica. How are you guys doing?" I looked at Mike as I spoke, including him in the conversation, begging him to say some weird, dull Mike thing. _Anything_ that would derail Jessica from the track she was on.

No luck, he went around the table and stared talking to Charlie instead of us.

"So, how was your day, Bella? Go anywhere interesting?" Now I remembered why we weren't better friends. She was a flake and gossip hound.

"Not really. I can call you later and talk about it though," I said pointedly.

I was grateful that she shut her mouth but I could see there was no way I would dodge this conversation. I resented Forks being lame enough that this was actually interesting to her.

"Oh, hey, if you want to ride home with your friends, Bells. I'm okay," Charlie said.

No. Charlie. Why? Fuck.

"Yeah, Bella, come with us! We're going to get ice cream now."

"I'm not really done eating here . . ."

"We'll wait," she said cheerily.

"You know what, I'm not really that hungry anymore."

"You go," Charlie said. "I'll take it home with me. Go have fun. You work too much. You need to have more fun."

Yes. Have fun. Being interrogated about the very thing I was trying to avoid thinking about. I smiled thinly. It seemed I did not have a choice.

"Okay, I'll see you at home." I got up and waved.

"Sure. Don't hurry. I trust Mike here to get you home safe."

And now I don't have a curfew because Jessica for some reason has a boyfriend so boring he's considered reliable by the police chief father of a teenage girl. I was in Jessica's clutches until at least midnight. And it was only seven now. I started thinking over the day, analyzing it for different reasons now. Trying to think of what I could tell her.

Let's see . . .

Couldn't tell her about Edward's fortune-teller-like death predictions . . .

Or how Aro had reacted when he found out where Jacob was from . . .

Or that he'd suddenly decided to take me home without explanation after acting like he was about to put the moves on me . . .

Or that when we _got_ to my house after _all of that_ he basically begged me not to avoid him . . .

Oh, and his skin was cold and hard like he just hung out in a walk-in freezer all day!

But I thought I had enough to appease her aside from that.

Mike had his suburban and Jessica practically pulled my arm off dragging me into the back seat.

"Drive around for a few minutes. Turn your music up and don't listen," she commanded, pointing at him sternly.

Poor Mike. If I didn't know that Jessica actually cared about him and was adorable with him when she thought no one was looking, I would feel bad for him. He turned on some band I didn't know and, based on the first song, didn't want to.

"So, you saw him, right?" she asked as soon as we had turned out of the parking lot.

"I saw him."

"Okay, tell me _everything_."

She was going to want more than I was planning to give her. I needed something to distract her from the outing.

"Hey, did you know he's related to the Cullens?"

"No way! How?"

"He's their uncle. So that's . . . weird."

"Maybe a little. Kind of naughty though."

Nothing slowed her down apparently.

"Anyway, found _that_ out when he picked me up walking home from your house. In the rain."

She slapped my arm quite unnecessarily hard. "What? That's crazy. It's like fate. Stuff like that doesn't just happen, Bella."

"Our town is two feet wide, it happens all the time. And it was not a fate type meeting unless you call being humiliated in front of the most attractive people from our high school while wearing soaked clothes and carrying a backpack made for an eight-year-old 'fate', in which case, fate sucks."

"Oh. That does suck. But you still went out today right?"

"Yup."

"There, so he saw you looking like crap and he still likes you!"

"How do you know I looked like crap?" I thought I had but I didn't think it was fair for anyone else to point it out.

"Because I saw the outfit your were wearing when you left, I'm sure rain did not improve it."

Thanks.

"I thought we were getting ice cream," I said irritably.

"We will, we will, come on, you haven't told me anything yet."

"What do you want to know?" Maybe I could make things up as I went along.

"Where did you go?"

Damn. "Down the coast."

"To the beach?"

"We stopped on the water for a minute."

"What else?"

"It was actually really cold and windy so we just kind of drove and talked."

"What? That's lame. Andrea said he looks rich. Why did he cheap out on you?"

"Not everybody wants to have money spent on them. Where would we even do that around here? I guess we could have gotten a bunch of Salt Water Taffy and seashell souvenirs . . ."

"Ug. Bella, you have no imagination. There's a really cute lodge in the middle of the park _with a lake_."

"You wanted him to take me to a hotel in the middle of the day on our first date?"

"Calling it a date now!"

"You know what I mean."

"Sure why not. I've seen pictures, it's pretty."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a prostitute."

"You don't have to be a _hooker_. They have a restaurant."

"Well, we didn't go there, so it doesn't matter."

"So where did you _do it_ then?"

"What?"

"Come on, Bella. You have sex hair!"

"It's nap hair. Sorry to disappoint you. Nothing happened."

"Boo. You didn't even make out with him?"

"Nope." Apparently I'm unexpectedly hideous once you're actually that close to me.

"Okay, so. Did he like the outfit?"

"How would I know that?"

"Did he check you out?"

"Yeah." That was sort of true. He stared at my necklace. I was pretty sure that was not a detail that would interest Jessica. "He said he only comes to the coffee shop because I'm there."

"So he _was_ stalking you. I hate it when Andrea's right."

"I don't think coming to a place I work and eating there is classified as stalking. It's not like he was coming to my house or following me to the store."

"That you know about," She said sassily. "He did 'conveniently' show up when you were walking home."

"Yeah, with three other people in the car. I don't think stalkers usually take witnesses with with them when they're stalking."

"Oh yeah. Who was it?"

"Alice and Jasper. And _Edward_." I said his name like swear word.

"Oooh, Edward's hot."

"He's a dick."

"Still hot. So what else?"

"Nothing really. He did insist that I liked him and wasn't in love with Jacob."

"Forceful. Interesting."

"It wasn't like that. He was just being blunt. Odd." I paused, casting around for something else. "He's thirty-nine."

"Twenty years. He could be your daddy."

"Gross. Don't ever say that again."

"Yeah, gross. Charlie's older than him, right? No worries. It's not weird if they're younger than your actual parents."

Charlie was forty-three. I hadn't thought about him in relation to my parents until now. Renée was only thirty-eight. He was a _year older_ than my mother. This was making me feel weird and sick. It's just that Aro didn't seem that much older. He wasn't like any of the adults I knew. It was like he had somehow stayed young as he grew. But he didn't seem immature either. Maybe emotionally stunted though. Like he never interacted with other human beings and had no idea what was appropriate.

"So are you going to see him again?"

"I don't know."

"Well, did he try to kiss you when he dropped you off?"

"Nope." Not then.

"Did he make plans?"

"No, well, I'm going to see him Monday because Alice invited me to her house and he's staying there."

"You're going to the Cullen's!?" She was gaping at me like I had just yawningly informed her I was going to the Oscars and it would probably be dumb.

"Yes . . . ?"

"_No one_ has _ever_ gone there."

"Really? I thought they had a lot of friends at school."

"No. They had a lot of people _worshiping_ them. No one was actually _friends_ with them."

"Oh. Well, maybe the attention made them uncomfortable and they want to make some friends now that no one is watching them all the time . . ." That was the stupidest explanation ever.

It had seemed weird when Alice invited me but not as heavy as Jessica was making it out to be. But she was right. I didn't know anyone who hung out with the Cullens. But then, I did not know anyone cool. Jessica did though. She knew everyone and if she said no one had ever been to the Cullen's house, she was sure about it.

"Do you want me to ask Alice if you can come too?"

She recoiled like I had slapped her across the face.

"Do I want you to beg for a pity invite to the house of the coolest people who have ever lived in Forks? Do you hate me?"

"Maybe I can get Alice to invite you without it seeming that way."

"Yeah, right. You're not exactly talented with subtlety, you'd somehow make it sound even worse, I'm sure."

I couldn't be insulted because it was true. I'd probably end up telling them Jessica needs friends because she has a freaky skin condition and is covered in hives under her clothes.

But she recovered quickly from my ignorant slight and dived right back into trying to turn me into a remorseless cheater.

"So if he's staying there, he has a room you can sneak off to . . ."

"_Alice_ invited me. I think that would be a bit rude. Also, that's her _uncle._" Even though I knew he wasn't. "He might not even be there. And I'm not sure I'm going anyway."

"Yeah right. He's totally obsessed with you. He'll be there."

Yeah, he may have seemed heartbroken when he left today but I was certain he would take any opportunity to see me if he thought there was a chance that I would change my mind about my conditions.

"And you're going. It's_ the Cullen's_. If you don't go I'm going to put on your skin and go in your place."

Well, that would be wise since your skin is hypothetically covered in hives.

"I'll probably go. Just leave my skin alone, okay?"

"I'm bringing over more outfits tomorrow. You are not going to the Cullen's wearing any of your clothes."

"Or maybe I should just be myself now and not worry about being judged by my appearance."

"Yeah, yeah, you can do that when there's a ring on your finger. You're going to look smokin' if you're going to the Cullen's. Oh, totally get pictures on your phone, I hear it's amazeballs."

Amazeballs? Really, Jessica? "I don't have a cell phone, remember?"

"Of course I_ don't_ remember that you're the _last_ person on the damned planet who does not own a cell phone. Who would want to remember that? It's depressing." She rolled her eyes, disgusted. "Here take this," she handed me a small, flat digital camera out of her bag. It was metallic pink.

"I am not to _spy_ on the Cullens for you, Jessica." I tried to force it back into her hand but she wouldn't take it.

"I didn't say _spy_. It's not weird to take pictures when you're hanging out with your friends," she said.

"Um, they aren't my friends. I just barely know Alice."

"Then why are you going to their house? The only person to _ever_ go there, I'll remind you."

"I don't know," I admitted.

"Maybe Alice is _trying_ to hook you up with him."

"That would be really . . . awkward."

"Yeah. Is he Carlisle's brother or Esme's?"

"Who's Esme?"

"That's Carlisle's wife."

"You mean, Dr. Cullen? Are you _actually_ spying on them, Jessica?"

"They've been here for like two years, it's weird that you don't know that."

"Right. Well, I don't know."

"It's probably not Carlisle because he has blond hair and you said your vampire boyfriend has black hair right?"

I didn't say. She was getting stuff from me and stuff from Andrea confused. A situation I seriously hope would never happen again.

"Yeah, he has dark hair. But, you know they're all adopted anyway so it doesn't really matter whose brother he is."

"That's right!" She slapped me again. "Then it's totally not squicky for you guys to do it."

"Jessica. We're not going to _do it_." Just as long as we're never alone in a room with a bed. Or a couch. Or a relatively clean floor . . .

"I wonder what it would be like to have a hot uncle you weren't actually related to . . ."

"Ew. And I already told you that you probably would not think he was very attractive."

"Yeah, but you do. And you're going to bring me back a picture so I can judge for myself."

The thought of trying to convince anyone in the Cullen family, particularly Aro, to let me take pictures of them with a tiny pink camera was nauseating. "Yeah, if there's chance," I said to appease her.

An hour later, when Jessica had finally squeezed the last bit of information possible from me and we were starting to rehash things she tapped on Mike's shoulder.

"We should go back to Forks," she shouted over the music.

I didn't know what had happened to her ice cream plans, but I was relieved they were ditched. I just wanted to go home.

Now that I had sort of agreed to not cancel on Alice, I found myself smiling. I knew I shouldn't but the excitement of seeing him again was beginning to wrap its sweet, suffocating tendrils around my brain and it was very hard to resist the urge to daydream here in the dark, where I could pretend a relationship with him wasn't ridiculous and no one would get hurt by it.

Except maybe me.

Definitely me.

* * *

END NOTES:

So yeah, that _date._ That got sad real fast didn't it? Sorry about that.

Jessica refers to "the park" in this chapter. She's talking about Olympic National Park and the "lodge" is Lake Quinault Lodge. Their restaurant is fantastic. You'd be a lucky hooker to have a John take you there!

And, if you're interested, there is a picture of the actual parking lot of the high school on my DeviantArt profile. Exciting times! Bonus content when you read my stories, man. Also there's a comic I made for the next chapter. Just go search KissKissCrush and you'll find me since I can't put up a link. *tired sigh*

Also, "Uncle Caius and Cousin Felix"! Hah! I don't know where that came from while I was writing, but I laughed during every edit.


	4. Are You Okay?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

* * *

AN~So, when I find a new TV show I like, _I want to watch_ _every episode in a row until there are no more episodes._ That's what I'm hoping you guys are like and that my neverending updates aren't getting annoying. I'm working on about eight different stories at once in various stages of completion so I'm trying to get this lovely little piece up and finished before I get sidetracked.

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**4**

I thought that I must have already put on everything in Jessica's closet short of her underwear but when she arrived on my porch at noon on Sunday, as threatened, with an armful of clothing and bags of accessories I had never seen before I discovered I had vastly underestimated the size of her collection.

If I was worried about more interrogation, I was spared because she was in a terrible mood and stormed past me into the house with only a mumbled greeting. I followed her into my room where she had dumped all of the clothing on my bed and was roughly sorting everything.

"You okay, Jess?"

"No. Mike," she said, strangling a pair of pants one-handed like they were her boyfriend's neck. "I don't want to talk about it."

It wasn't new, they fought all the time. Well, she fought. Mike did everything she said and somehow still seemed to get in her way and do everything wrong. According to her. And I knew that even though she said she didn't want to talk about it, she would. Which was great because it meant I wouldn't have to talk and she wouldn't ask about Aro.

An hour and a half and many, many outfits later we had reached a compromise where I wore dark jeans instead of a skirt and plain, slip-on flats instead of my dirty tennis shoes. She squinted at me like I might be trying to trick her when I immediately agreed to wear a silky black top that crossed over in the front and closed with a long ribbon tie.

"It has _lace_ on it," she said, like I had maybe missed this while putting it on.

"I see that. I like it."

"You should break up with Jacob."

"What? Why?"

"Because you never felt inclined to wear lace for _him._ He might as well be your brother."

I didn't think that was a very logical test of a good relationship but her point wasn't entirely invalid, Jacob did not inspire romantic feelings in me. But I was growing increasingly wary of the stupefying effects of romantic feelings right now so I didn't think that was a good enough reason to destroy an otherwise perfectly functional relationship with someone I cared about.

She made me stand in front of the mirror while she held a number of ridiculous adornments against my ears and throat. She didn't say anything to me or ask my opinion. Just muttered to herself.

"I could wear the necklace you already gave me. It'll go with this . . ."

She looked appalled. "_What?_ No. You can't wear the same necklace twice in a row. Have you seen Alice Cullen's clothes? Are you insane?"

"Well, she wasn't there the last time and I'm pretty sure he didn't describe my outfit to her when he got home. Also, he liked that necklace."

"_Really?_" She said, interested now. "Did he _say_ he liked it? What exactly did he say? Because that could be revealing. Sometimes people compliment things they hate because they don't know what to say."

The rules of Jessica's world were baffling to me. "He's not a teenage girl, Jessica. He didn't say anything. He looked at it for a long time though."

She scoffed. "Oh, Bella, he was just looking at your boobs, you dumbass!"

I knew she was wrong but I didn't want to argue. "Well, I'm wearing it anyway. I like it."

"Whatever." But she smiled when it was actually on, looking me over and nodding. "Oh yeah, he's _totally_ going to want to drink your blood."

"Well that's the goal," I said with a flat sarcasm I'm not sure she understood.

"I'm going to take this stuff to my car. You want a ride to work? Your 'car' is still broken right?"

"Yup. Jacob's not back until the morning. But I don't need to be there for like an hour still. And I haven't showered yet."

"Okay. Well, I'll wait for you." She looked around my room. "Don't you have any magazines?" she asked surveying my bookshelf full of dull covered antique novels and reference books.

"Um, yeah . . . I think." I managed to dig a three year old Cosmo of Renee's out of a pile under my desk. Somehow it had made it into one of the moving boxes when I left Phoenix. She eyed it skeptically, but took it and collapsed on my bed. I grabbed my work clothes and went into the bathroom. Normally I changed in my room after showering but normally there wasn't someone in my room _while_ I showered.

I showered quicker than usual so I had time to dry my hair. In Phoenix, drying my hair meant going outside. But I pretty much always dried it before leaving the house here because it was too cold out not to. I decided it wouldn't hurt to practice making it not look like crap while I was at it. Apparently the effort was obvious because Jessica said, "Oh, you're still using the diffuser. Nice. Expecting someone at your work maybe?"

"No," I said, grateful I hadn't blushed. "It would be weird for him to come there now that he told me he only came to see me. Anyway, we kind of had a little fight yesterday when he dropped me off." Oh, _why_ did I say that?

She sat up so fast you'd think she'd been electrocuted by my bedspread.

"A fight! Why didn't you tell me that last night? What was it about?"

Crap. "It was . . . about Edward." Sure, that was similar enough to the truth.

"Ooo, why?"

"Edward doesn't really like him."

"Well what does that have to do with you?"

"I guess Edward doesn't want him to see me."

"He's_ jealous!_ How many boys do you need chasing at you once, Swan?" She sounded both irritated and impressed.

I considered just letting her assume that because then I wouldn't have to say anything else but I knew Jessica would find a way to gossip about this if possible and I didn't want her spreading any rumors that I thought Edward Cullen was secretly in love with me.

"I don't think it's that. Maybe he thinks I'm not good enough for their family . . ." That sounded stupid to me but Jessica just nodded and I wasn't sure if I should be insulted that she so readily accepted that someone could think I'm not good enough for them. But she was a little obsessed with the Cullens so I let it slide.

"You ready?"

"Yeah, but I still have like a half an hour."

"Well, I need to get gas so let's go now."

Jessica's car smelled like a vat of strawberry-flavored lip gloss which had been left in the sun. My car smelled like a damp tool shed most of the time. I preferred my car.

She pulled onto the street and turned toward our two gas stations which were across from each other on either side of the highway. One going in each direction. We didn't need two. We had two because Forks was more of a collection of buildings huddled around the highway than it was an actual town of any kind. We were a place where you got gas, bought bottled water and maybe saw someone with a mullet on your way to somewhere else. It was not a destination, it was a rest stop.

I was picking at a peeling Liza Frank sticker of a unicorn which was stuck on her glove box when she called out loudly, slapping my arm and pointing out her window. Something actually interesting must have happened. Which could have been anything really since nothing ever happened. Maybe it was a bear in the road! Exciting!

When I looked it was just a small car accident. One car had turned in front of another causing some minor damage. Hardly a reason to inflict a bruise on my wimpy, unsuspecting bicep. I almost sighed, bored, but then I saw the people standing around the mess. A middle-aged blond woman who must have been one of the drivers was gesticulating wildly, her over-bleached hair blowing around in wispy tangles in the wind. Then were were two cops and the other driver. My chest went cold. Edward. He didn't look harmed and I wasn't sure if I was relieved or not and then felt guilty for wishing he had gotten a nice broken arm or something.

Jessica drove past the gas station. I wasn't sure what she was doing until she started to take a U-turn. "No, Jessica. We do not need to rubberneck a fender-bender, we're not that lame."

"What? I missed the other gas station. I need to go to this one," she said innocently.

"And it just happens to be on the same side of the street as the accident. Convenient. You know, you could pick a better time to check him out. Like any time _I'm_ not with you as he hates me."

But she was already pulling into one of the pumps. She flipped down her mirror and fluffed her hair, practicing an awful, saccharine smile and then opened her door. I hunched, turning my head. Only Jessica would attempt to hit on someone who had just been in a car accident.

She popped her head back into view. "Get out," she said impatiently.

"What? No. Why do I need to get out? You know how to pump gas."

"You have to pay inside, their thing has been broken for a month. You need to go inside and pay so I can stand out here and look adorable. Go."

That was a good plan actually. Because I definitely did not need or want to be seen. I got out, hiding my face behind my hair. Jessica handed me her card, pink of course, and I went inside, keeping my head low. I intended to stay inside until she was done and bought a candy bar along with the gas figuring it was the least she could do. After I paid though I looked out and saw her gesturing to me frantically. Maybe something worse had happened. I pushed the door open and when I was a few feet from her she said, "Look!" There was another car now, a grey BMW, parked behind the accident and Aro was standing on the side of the highway talking calmly with the police officers. When we had first seen the wreck, Edward was acting really strangely, backing away from anyone who tried to touch him and making adamant "I'm fine" motions. Now he was standing behind Aro with a chastened posture, glaring at the pavement.

"It's your boyfriend!" she shouted totally unnecessarily as though I could possibly miss Aro in the middle of that scene. Just as she said this, very much like in the diner that night we first spoke, he turned his head and looked right at us like he'd heard her. There was no hiding. Both of us were standing there gawking, me with half a candy bar stuffed in my mouth that I was contemplating swallowing unchewed and wondering if it would choke me. Choking to death might be a good option if I didn't think Jessica would attempt some kind of embarrassing CPR effort on me and accidentally save my life leaving me in the same situation but covered in chocolate and nougat barf. I settled for just keeping my mouth closed and waving. He gave me a small, slightly crooked smile that made me feel kind of Jello-y.

Jessica and I got back in the car as he was leading Edward to the BMW. He pushed him rather roughly into the backseat and shut the door. Then he reached for the passenger door and I saw that someone else was driving but couldn't tell who. He paused and looked back at us again.

"Well, are you going to go talk to him?"

"No. What would I say? His nephew was in a car accident. I'm sure they have other things to do right now."

"He looks like he's waiting for you."

"Well, I have to go to work."

"Your deal," She said and started the car.

He was standing there awkwardly like he was debating if he should come and talk to me but when he saw her start to drive away he got in his car after giving me another smile, this one a little sad and it made a dull ache spread out all over my skin. I _wanted_ to talk to him. Seeing him had caused this frightening rush of emotions far too intense to be safe which made me want to do and say completely inadvisable things to him.

I waved again as we passed them. It was Jasper driving. He gave me a thumbs up for what seemed like no reason and I returned it in an equally pointless way. Edward had his head down and didn't look at us as we passed.

"You're right," she said as we went by the wreck, "he _is_ weird-looking."

"I didn't say he was 'weird-looking.'"

"'Odd-looking,' whatever."

"That's out of context. I just meant he wasn't like traditionally handsome or anything."

"That's for sure. You were right when you called him a vampire. Dracula." She split the syllables up to draw them out in a really awful Transylvanian accent, making one hand into a claw as she spoke.

She must have seen that I was angry because she stopped. We were quiet for a minute and then she said, "It's cool. I mean, he's sort of cute, in a pasty goth way. That's fine. You're kind of into gloomy right? All those, like, sad English novels you read. I don't have to like him anyway. It doesn't matter what I think if you like him."

"Just stop talking."

She did. For about fifteen seconds.

"You know you could have gone to talk to him. I wouldn't have minded."

"Yeah, well I didn't want to bother him right then."

"He looked like he'd be okay with you bothering him_ anytime_. I have seen some smitten-ness in my time and that bloodsuc—um, _guy_ is totally about you."

I fought a smile. This was going way too fast. I needed to get my head on straight before something actually happened here.

We stopped in front of the coffee shop and she asked if I needed a ride later. I lied that Jacob might be back tonight so I could avoid having to talk about Aro anymore during another car ride. Especially now that she'd seen him. It upset me that she had commented negatively on his appearance. And I knew it was partly because of what I had said, which made me feel really awful. He was beautiful to me but I knew other people would think he wasn't. I think I felt like I was defending him by admitting first that he was unusual but now I wished I hadn't said anything. It made it seem like I was embarrassed by him and I wasn't.

"Thanks for the ride, Jess. And the clothes. I'll talk to you tomorrow after I get home, okay?" Promising a post going-to-the-Cullen's call was dangerous but she'd sort of earned it.

"You'd better," she said. "Have fun!"

Why did people keep telling me to have fun all over the place? I was going to _work._ Maybe she met at the Cullen's. But I was pretty sure that would be more terrifying and potentially humiliating than anything else.

I was a few minutes late but it wasn't a big deal this early on a Sunday. I did everything on autopilot and barely reacted when Sherry came up near the end of my shift and slapped me firmly on the butt. When she saw she wasn't getting a rise out of me she became serious and leaned on the counter next to where I was robotically refilling sugar caddies. "What's wrong with you, Kitten? You sick or something?" She had a number of nauseating nicknames which she rotated and used on everyone regardless of age, gender or relation to her.

"Um, no. I'm fine. Just . . . a weird weekend. Jacob went camping so I guess I miss him." It was true I realized when I said it. I did miss Jacob. I realized also that I missed him as my friend though and not so much as my boyfriend. It might be time to end it with him, not having anything to do with whether or not something happened between me and Aro. Jacob deserved to be with someone who liked him as more than a friend and the events of the last few days and the way I had been feeling about Aro made it much clearer than before that I probably wasn't that person. It made me sad. I wanted to like Jacob that way. He was perfect for me. Sweet, fun, resourceful, _my age_ and Charlie loved him. Everybody loved him. He was impossible _not_ to love. And I did love him, it was just the same way everyone else did, not the way a girlfriend should. No matter how much I wished it, Jacob hadn't ever done anything that induced a Jello response in any part of my body.

"Aw. That's sweet," Sherry said and I almost didn't know what she was talking about because I had followed my thought process so far from our conversation. Me missing Jacob. That was what was sweet. Only not so sweet because I was actually thinking about how I needed to break up with him.

"He'll back tomorrow," I said.

"Well, we're almost done here, you don't need to stick around anymore. Go on home and get some beauty sleep."

"Okay, thanks, Sherry. I'll see you Tuesday."

I knew it would be cold outside even if it was dry. I thought about calling Jessica but walking home in the cold was more appealing. Charlie would be mad but I didn't care. I wanted to be alone. And to be cold on purpose. Punishment for not liking the right boy.

An invisible cloud of cigarette stench suddenly descended on me follow by an unfortunately visible Andrea, in from one of her many smoke breaks. The last half hour of her shift was always one long smoking marathon in which she took work breaks. She saw me putting on my coat and said, "Your scary stalker is outside," with an exaggerated eye roll.

My stomach crumpled inward like a piece of aluminum foil being crushed in a ball by a strong pair of hands. She could only mean Aro. I calmly walked to the door and went outside. Normally I would have turned right and gone to the closer crosswalk but this time I turned left because that's where the parking lot was and I couldn't imagine where else he would be.

He was there, leaning on the closed driver's side door of his car. He straightened as I approached, his face openly hopeful which it made me feel a sickening combination of joy and panic. I wished he wouldn't make it so obvious he liked me, it was making all of this so much harder.

"Hi," he said and then just stood there.

"Hey."

He took a breath like he had something planned he was going to say but then didn't.

Okay.

"Um, is Edward okay and everything?" I didn't give a shit about Edward but someone had to talk.

"Oh, yes, he's fine. Not a scratch. Do you need a ride home?"

I couldn't very well say 'no' and then _walk_ off toward my house.

"Yeah, sure."

I walked around the car and stopped at the door. It was unlocked, but he hadn't gotten in his side yet so I didn't either. He was watching me over he top of the car.

"Will you take a drive with me? Just for a few minutes. I want to talk to you."

I nodded and got in the car. We were both silent for a few minutes until we had driven out of town. You didn't have to go very far. We drove past a road that led to a dead end where people went to make out. I was a good place to talk other than the making out but I decided it would be really insanely bad if someone saw us there. Not to mention it wasn't like make out spots were a secret. They were easy to spot when you got to one and I didn't want him to see it as a suggestion. He looked at me just as I was thinking this and my eyes went immediately to his mouth which was as unnaturally pretty as the rest of him. He'd probably kissed a lot of people. I had kissed two: Jacob and this asthmatic boy named Gerome in sixth grade. In both cases I was the only girl they had ever kissed so I had no idea if I was a good kisser or even an adequate one because there was no qualified person to tell me. Kissing had always seemed like a bizarre ritual in the first place so I didn't think about it much. I didn't dislike it, I just didn't get it either. Until now. The appeal of kissing someone was becoming _very_ vivid suddenly.

I exhaled heavily, drumming my fingers on my legs. He reached over and touched my hand for a second, an unreadable look on his face.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

_Certainly not making out with you if that's what you're wondering!_

"Um, just wondering what you wanted to talk about. You said you wanted to talk so . . ."

"Yes, you've gathered that there is something odd about me. And my 'family'."

"Yeah, I 'gathered' that." It came off a lot grumpier than I intended and tried to relax. He was sounding like he was going to be honest with me and I didn't want to spoil it. "I mean, yeah. So, everyone thought the Cullens were kind of weird when they moved here but then we figured they were just rich people and now everyone is used to them. But then you show up and you're even _weirder_. Sorry, but you are. But I don't think it's a bad thing. You're interesting. Everyone here is boring. You're not boring. I'm bored a lot so I like that you're, you know . . . not boring." Wow. Eloquent. But he was smiling at me. Apparently he liked morons.

He sighed and touched my hand again. This time it felt more affectionate than whatever he was doing before. Instinctively I turned my palm upwards and his chilly fingertips ran down the insides of my fingers and gathered in my palm, spelling secret little messages there in some fluid, circular language that had no verbal counterpart because it didn't need one. He was just silently describing the details of us. Things that couldn't be said just yet. I had my eyes closed until he spoke.

"I want to tell you everything but it's too soon, you're not ready," he said sadly. "Edward does not want you to know at all but he should have realized that his behavior would only speed up the process of you finding out."

"Then what are we doing here, Aro? I thought we weren't going to see each other until you'd decided to be honest with me."

"I didn't agree to that."

"Well, you knew it's what I wanted."

"Do you really not want to see me at all if I don't tell you everything right now?"

He laced his fingers between mine. I couldn't say yes to that right now. I wanted to see him, be near him. I just didn't want to feel like I was being tricked. I left our hands linked for a few moments and then reluctantly pulled mine away and tucked it under my leg. That was definitely past the line of appropriate.

"Okay. Tell me what you're willing to tell me and I will decide if it's enough."

He looked at me, searching my face for sincerity maybe. I raised my eyebrows trying to look cheerfully encouraging.

"I'm . . . different."

"We've covered that."

"Not in the way you think."

"Did you used to be a lady? Because that would definitely be a deal-breaker. No judgements but yeah, just no."

"I was born a man. But your guess is interesting because it's well, a good comparison in a way. Because I . . . changed. I'm not like I was born."

"Well, that was nice and vague, thank you. Sounds like you went through puberty. Everybody does it."

He breathed in deeply and let it out in huff. "You're a little bit . . . infuriating, you know."

"One to talk."

"Indeed. But I am not usually so difficult. Not in this way at least."

"Good to know. So after you've told me your big, scary secret then we can have a normal relationship without all the suspense?"

"Relationship?"

"I just meant we could hang out easier."

"Oh, okay," he said. But he smiling a bit smugly.

"Is that all you're going to tell me? That you're 'different'? Because that is not enough."

"I'm part of an . . . organization—"

"Oh, no no no. Do not tell me you're in some freaky cult. Are you a Scientologist? Because that is also a deal-breaker. I don't like religion and one that makes you pay to have aliens sucked out of you or put in you or whatever it is they do is too fucked up."

"I am not in a _cult,_ Isabella," he said tiredly. "Although there are some rules involved in my lifestyle. One of which is about secrecy. We don't tell anyone about us and what we do until they're ready to join us."

"Yeah. That's called a cult. How is that not a cult?"

"Because the joining isn't about spirituality or loyalty to a cause, it's more of a physical thing and then after you're different, you can live however you like, wherever you like as long as you don't tell anyone about us."

"Okay. So, where do_ you_ usually live?"

"Italy."

"I was right. Not gay, European."

He smiled like he knew exactly what I was referring to.

"You don't look Italian," I said, after scrutinizing him for a minute with this new information.

"Yes, well, I'm originally from Greece . . ."

"Yeah, you don't look Greek either." You liarface.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you're all pasty. Every Greek person I've ever seen has darker skin."

"I wasn't always so pale."

"Bad blood?"

"What?" He swerved a little into the other lane.

"Like anemia. It can happen when you don't have red blood cells or something. Anyway, it makes you all pale."

I looked at me strangely and swallowed. "It's definitely not that."

"Okay. One more thing and we can be done for now." I would have pushed for more but I wasn't certain what his reaction to this next thing would be so I decided to use up all the currency of tonight's discussion on a question I really wanted to know the answer to which I was certain wouldn't be scary if it turned out to be true.

He went very still, waiting for me to speak.

"You can hear really far away can't you?"

"Yes."

"How far?"

"Pretty far."

"_Aro_."

"If I were were standing at that gas station where you were earlier . . . I could hear across the street to inside the other gas station."

"Yup. That's pretty far," I said placidly.

"You're unusually unconcerned about . . . unusual things."

"Yup."

"I'm going to take you home now."

"Probably should. My dad will think I'm dead. And since he's a cop, that could prove uncomfortable for you."

"Indeed." He turned around. "So that girl you were with earlier called me your boyfriend . . ."

"Wow. You really can hear that far. And yes, she did, but Jessica is a known idiot. I never told her that."

"But you must have said something to lead her to say such a thing."

"She's knows about you."

"What does she know?"

"That you're related to the Cullens. And that you like me."

"And does she know that you like me?"

"That is her belief."

He smiled at my evasiveness. "And what is your belief?"

"That I am _very_ stupid."

"I'm not certain if I should feel insulted by that."

"It's more of a compliment I think."

"Why is that?"

"You're just . . . very hard to resist."

"And this lapse in will power equates to stupidity for you?"

"Well it's not brilliance. Especially when all signs have been pointing solidly to 'no' in regard to you."

"All of them?"

"Okay, a few have been aimed slightly more toward 'maybe'."

"Which ones?"

"Well, you haven't killed me yet."

"I like to take things slow."

"And you're really nice to me."

"I thought about starting off by 'accidentally' spilling scalding hot coffee on you but then you did that yourself and I had nothing left so I defaulted to being wonderful."

"You're also not completely hideous."

"I'm going to change that to 'super dreamy' when I tell this story later."

"Tell it to who?"

"My friends."

"What friends?"

"Are you asking if I have friends at all or if I have friends in Forks?"

"In Forks, I guess."

"Well there's Carlisle."

"You're going to tell Dr. Cullen I called you, 'super dreamy'?"

"Why not? We need something to talk about while he braids my hair at our next slumber party."

I had only seen Dr. Cullen a few times since they moved here but this image was so ridiculous that it set off an insane fit of giggling I couldn't control for several minutes.

"And now I think it hardly needs to be pointed out that I am hilarious," he said when I had quieted enough for him to be heard again.

"Yeah, you're kind of funny I guess." My attempted nonchalance came off poorly as I was still trying to stop laughing.

"So I'm nice, funny and extremely attractive. I'm not sure how you've managed to keep your hands off me for so long."

"I just don't think you're ready for that. You seem a little fragile . . ."

"Only with you," he said quietly.

I sighed, the conversation suddenly serious again. "Why are you doing this, Aro?"

"Doing what?"

"Chasing me like this. It's so complicated and it seems to be hurting you."

"Not doing it hurts more. At least this way I get to be near you."

"You saying things like that is hurting me though."

"Then change it. You could make this right, Isabella. It would be right. _We_ would be."

From laughing hysterically to nearly in tears in less than a minute. A record.

"I'm scared," I said shakily. "If I lose Jacob over this and then you don't—"

"I'll be yours as long as you want me," he said before I could finish.

We were at a stoplight when he said this. He took my hand again, holding it for a moment before setting my 'ISABELLA' name tag in my palm and gently folding my fingers over it.

"You forgot this yesterday. You should remember it even if you choose to forget me. People deserve to know you, my Isabella."

My throat was aching too much to try to respond to this so I just nodded and brought my closed hand up over my heart as were drove away from the intersection.

When we were almost to my house but still in the trees I said, "You should probably drop me off up here. That way Charlie won't see you."

He shook his head. "These woods aren't safe."

But when we got to my house, Charlie's cruiser was gone anyway. I forgot it was Sunday. He was playing poker at Harry's. And now we were parked in a place as good as any make out spot around. Dark, secluded, warm car. Neither of us spoke, we looked at each other for a long moment. My heart was doing this funny thing where it felt a little bit like it had stopped beating. He leaned toward me just barely and I knew that if he tried to kiss me now I wouldn't stop him. Then his head snapped around and he was staring into the shadows of my porch. There was someone there. I felt intense fear for a second until I realized it was Jacob.

"It's just Jacob," I said, relieved. But Aro reached out, lightening fast and grabbed my wrist to stop me from opening the door.

"Isabella. You should not be alone with that boy." His tone was so serious that I felt fear start to creep in again.

"It's just Jacob. Trust me, he's the most harmless person around," I said and was upset to hear that my voice sounded uneven and doubtful.

"Your boyfriend is dangerous. Be very careful not to make him angry. Please, Isabella, promise me you'll go straight into your house and tell him you will see him later. In a place with lots of people."

"No." I wrenched my arm free. "This isn't any of your business. Go home." I got out of the car quickly and slammed the door, hoping he wouldn't follow me. He didn't. I heard him drive away quickly and Jacob was loping down the steps toward me.

"Hey, Jake. Let's go inside, it's freezing."

He just nodded. He was glaring at the place where Aro's car had disappeared.

Once we were in the bright kitchen and I got a good look at him, I knew something was wrong. Usually, after a camping trip, he was bouncy, full of stories. But he actually looked like he was sick, with a really high fever. His skin was sort of glossy-looking like a fever sweat.

"Are you okay?"

"No. Bella, we have to talk." He looked like he might cry.

Oh, god. Someone had said something to him and now he'd seen proof._ I_ felt sick.

"Okay. Do you want something to eat?"

"No."

Well, that was the absolute first time Jacob had ever turned down food. This was bad, he definitely knew. I sat down at the table, resigned to my condemnation.

"I came to tell you I can't . . . see you anymore."

Now I felt sweaty and feverish as well.

"What?"

"We have to break up and we can't hang out anymore."

"Why?" If it was about Aro, I wanted to know.

"I can't tell you."

No. Not another one. When did the boys around me suddenly become secretive and crazy?

"Well, that's just fucking great, Jacob." I stood and went to the fridge. I wasn't hungry. I just began pushing things around angrily.

"Who was that?"

"Who was who?"

"The person who dropped you off."

"Well, I really don't think that's any of your business since, apparently, we're not even friends anymore." I grabbed the leftover pizza and slapped the box down on the counter.

"I need to know, Bella." He paused. "You could be in danger."

I actually screamed and stomped my foot like a small child having a tantrum. He jumped back, surprised by what I'm sure seemed like an extreme reaction to this declaration.

"I have been told that by _multiple_ people already this week and I don't want to hear it again without some kind of explanation! First he says _you're_ dangerous and now you say _he's_ dangerous and _neither_ of you want to tell me why!"

"He?"

"Yes, my friend who dropped me off."

"Who is this friend, Bella? You don't know anyone with a car like that." He looked like he already knew though and he was just waiting for me to confirm it.

"He's new in town. He's staying with the Cullens."

"The Cullens. Great. Perfect. Only you, Bella."

"What do you mean 'only me'? I didn't ask for any of this!"

"You have to promise me you won't see him again. Please, Bella."

Dear. God.

"No! Do you know what he said to me when he saw you? _That exact same thing, Jacob._ Except that he didn't say I couldn't see you at all, he just told me to do it somewhere he knew I would be safe. And since he's decided to be honest with me," sort of, "and has promised to eventually tell me what the bloody hell is going on and you're just storming in here and saying, _'Hey, you know how we've been friends forever and I've been telling everyone you're my girlfriend? Well, that's over now. See you later!'_ So, I'm going to see whoever I want and if that person happens to _be_ a Cullen or _know_ the Cullens it isn't of _your_ business. Goodbye. Please leave." He allowed me to push him out onto the porch. I didn't feel at all guilty about shutting the door in his face. I was too angry.

I stomped upstairs and undressed roughly like I was in a fight with my clothes. I threw them on the floor of my room and went to take a shower. The hot water made me feel better and when I heard the phone ring as I was towel-drying my hair, I almost felt calm again. Near-crying confused, but not full of rage.

I picked up the phone. Unknown number. Of course. I considered not answering but I didn't have that kind of self-control. I pushed the button to answer. My first word clearly displayed my irritation at being compelled to though.

"_What?_"

Perhaps thrown off by my unusual greeting there was a pause before I heard him say, "I just . . . wanted to make certain that you were okay."

"I'm fine," I said, shortly.

"Oh. Okay. Are you angry with me?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. Sort of."

"I'm sorry. I just don't want to see something bad happen to you and he's—"

"Do not say he's dangerous. Just don't. I heard you the first time. And I just got to be treated him saying the same thing about you, in fact. So you have some more explaining to do. Far less vague explaining about why a person you've never met before knows more about you than I do."

"Does that mean you're going to see me again?" There was heartbreaking lift in his voice from worried to excited.

"Yes. I'm going to see you tomorrow, remember? Alice invited me over."

"Of course, right," he said and I could tell he thought that I was just being coy.

I wished we'd had more time to talk in person earlier but it was good we were interrupted when we were tonight. Sitting in the dark like that could have led very quickly to some regrettable things. _'Things you'd have no reason to regret the next time'_, my mind inserted helpfully. I was single. I could do whatever I wanted. I never thought I was the kind of girl who would get knocked up, but I suddenly understood exactly how it happened. Now that the psychological barrier that was preventing me from doing anything with Aro was gone, I wasn't sure I had the kind of resolve needed not to remove a lot of clothing very quickly the next time we were alone.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow then," I said, grinning moronically at my empty room.

"Yes. Good night, Isabella. I hope you sleep well."

"Yeah, you too."

He laughed strangely and sighed. "Yes, thank you. Good night."

"You already said that." Oh gross, I didn't want to be those people.

"Well, you keep talking whenever I say goodbye."

"Hmmm. Guess it's my fault then. Do you want to try again?"

"I could. Unless you would like to continue talking . . ."

"Well, I don't not want to . . . "

"Can I ask some things about you then? That's fair right?"

"Yeah, that's fair. I'm going to lay down while we talk though so if I stop answering, it's because I went to sleep, not because I hate you."

"That's nice to know. I wouldn't feel very good about you hating me."

"Yeah, Aro, no one feels good about that. Except maybe Edward, since he seems to go out of his way to make people dislike him, he must enjoy it."

"Edward isn't trying to be cruel. He has legitimate reasons for his actions, as inscrutable as they may seem to you. You'll understand someday."

"I guess. But I mean, he's been like this from the start. He took me out once, right when they moved here and was a total ass the whole time. I don't even know why he asked since he seemed to kind of hate me."

"He does not hate you. He was confused."

"Did he tell you about that?" That must have been awkward. Maybe my lame theory about Edward thinking I wasn't good enough for his family cult was more accurate than I knew . . .

"Sort of."

"Sort of. More secret stuff?"

"Sort of. Sorry."

"Well, we're supposed to be talking about me anyway."

"Yes. You're much more interesting than Edward's melodrama. So, do you like living in Forks?"

"No." Boring question.

"Why not?"

"Because it's rainy and while I don't mind it sometimes, it gets sort of depressing after a while. Always overcast."

"You like the sun," he said and I thought I heard disappointment in his voice.

"I don't hate it."

"And do you like your friends here?"

"I'm not really that close to anyone. Except Jacob but that's . . . yeah, nevermind."

"Do you have other friends where you lived before?"

"You know what, I am kind of a friendless loser. Thanks for helping me realize that."

"That was not my intention."

"It's cool. People are mostly lame anyway. What else do you want to know?"

"Do you read fantasy novels?"

Gear change. "Um, not really. I'm not into dragons and hobbits."

"There are books about make-believe things which aren't dragons and hobbits."

"Are you trying to tell me you're like super into Harry Potter and you dress up like a wizard and go to conventions and know what house you're in?"

"I've . . . not read them."

"Hmmm, too bad, you totally have the hair for it. Being a wizard, I mean."

"You think my hair is comical."

"Not really. Jacob has long hair." _Why am I talking about my ex-boyfriend?_

"Oh. So, do you like horror films?"

"Nah. Blood makes me dizzy."

"Blood . . . makes you dizzy?"

"Yeah. I totally almost passed out in biology one time when we were blood typing. It's the smell I think, actually. I mean, when I just _see_ it happens too, but I think it's because I see it and then think of how it _smells_ . . . anyway. Not a big deal since I don't intend to be a doctor or a manager at McDonald's and it's usually pretty easy to avoid blood in most other professions."

"Yes. That's . . . interesting," he said and it sounded like he thought it _was_ interesting and not just some very dull fact about me.

I yawned.

"You're tired. I should let you sleep."

I wanted to keep talking but my head was feeling very heavy and I agreed. We did another, more successful, goodbye ritual and I sleepily pushed down the covers on my bed so I could get under them. The Cosmo Jessica had been reading was still open at the foot of my bed and when I went to move it I saw it was open to one of those stupid quizzes. This one was titled _Is He the One?_

The first question was yes or no:

_Does he seem interested in your life and your friends?_

I slapped it closed. No. Way too stupid. But I was smiling dreamily anyway when I laid down and reached to turn the light off. My hand stopped on the switch. I had never been afraid of the dark before but all of the death threats and danger warnings had me a little freaked out and I left it on, settling for turning my back on it. Now I was facing my bookshelf. On the shelf level with my eyes was a book about Victorian era London which Jacob had given me on my last birthday. The happiness from talking to Aro and the utter misery caused by what Jacob had done and the things he'd said suddenly combined in a horrible collision of conflicting emotions and I experienced for the first time in my life what it was like to cry yourself to sleep.

I hoped it was the last time.

* * *

**NEW UPDATE!: Some art has been drawn for my little story! I can't put a link here of course because this site is ridiculous but you should go to deviantART and search "Aro and Carlisle slumber party" for an adorable drawing by RhenaGoblin.**

END NOTES:

Well, then. Another_ almost_ kiss in there to torture you. But they sort of held hands for a second! That's something!

I maybe should have mentioned in the first chapter that the place Bella works is called **Forks Coffee Shop** and it is a real place. It's one of those restaurants that has a giant sign that just says "restaurant" out front. Pretty greasy. I love those kinds of places. I do mock it a lot in this story but it's totally affectionate.

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**~mkakashi1993** this review made me chuckle while standing in line at Barnes & Noble. Thank you. I _am_ happy: _"You've turned me into a puddle of Squeals in front of my roommates! I hope you're happy! Because i totally am right now."_

**~Remmy94, **there are more long chapters coming! But the few short ones are _rewarding, _I promise_._ Your lengthy reviews are the light of my life, thank you.**  
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The feedback from _everyone_ has been spectacular. Thank you all so much. I love every review. Whenever my email chime goes off on my cell phone, I grab for it like it's a crack pipe.

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My favorite part of this chapter was probably the part were Bella contemplates intentionally choking to death on a candy bar to avoid the embarrassment of interacting with Aro in front of Edward _and_ Jessica. Tee hee. I can't believe how much I ended up loving Jessica while writing this. She's ridiculous.


	5. Dracula!

******Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

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**AN~**I was going to post this last night but then I started organizing the remaining chapters to see exactly how much work there was left on this story which led to _reading_ those chapters and yeah, several hours later . . . I was asleep. So then I tried _this morning_ and found two freaking plot holes I had to fix. Involving more Cullens complicated things. But it meant the addition of something unexpectedly delicious so it was a delightful mishap in the end.

Anyway, it is my hope that I will be able to post _another_ chapter tonight. It's short but it's not disappointing. *hint hint*

**underscore65**, the timeline explanation is in the Author's Notes for Chapter Three.

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**5**

Alice left a message Sunday while I was at work to say someone would come pick me up around seven on Monday night. I had told Charlie where I was going. There was no reason to lie. He liked Dr. Cullen and was annoyed when people in town treated them differently when they first moved to Forks. And I knew he liked Alice so I made sure to mention her name. I actually thought he might have a little crush on her which I couldn't really be grossed out by because I think everyone who had ever met Alice had a little crush on her.

I was watching at the window so I could run outside the minute I saw a car as I didn't know who was coming and wasn't really excited about the idea of Charlie and Aro meeting right then. Or ever. I was sure Charlie wouldn't like him to begin with and if he saw even a hint of Aro being interested in me, he might shoot him and I was getting a little bit attached now. I chose to ignore the fact that this all meant that I would be in a secret relationship if one were to occur now.

A knock pulled me out of this reverie. I'd forgotten my post. I'd been staring at the ceiling with a dumb look on my face hoping Aro _was_ the one picking me up so we could be alone again for a few minutes, now I was praying it was _any_ of the other Cullens. Even Edward. Maybe Charlie would shoot _him_. Nothing fatal, just a flesh wound in the arm or leg . . .

I dived at the door but Charlie was closer. I could tell by the look on his face that it was definitely Aro. When I got to them I saw that he was dressed far more casually than I had ever seen him. He looked about ten times more normal. Which still wasn't very normal but it helped. Charlie was eyeing him with suspicious dislike.

"I don't believe we've met," Aro said lightly, putting out his hand to Charlie.

"No. We haven't," Charlie said. His voice was far less cheery than Aro's.

A series of split-second expressions raced across Aro's face when he shook Charlie's hand. I wasn't sure I even would have seen them if I hadn't spent so much time staring at him in the coffee shop, memorizing the way he looked.

Charlie pulled back quickly from this interaction. "Cold hands there."

"Oh, yes, sorry. It's warmer where I'm from so I never remember gloves and I was outside helping Emmett with firewood before I came here."

I almost laughed at the visual of Aro stacking or carrying firewood but I held it in.

"I'm Aro. Esme's my sister. I had some business in Seattle and they've been letting me stay with them."

I knew it was a bad sign that Charlie didn't ask what Aro did because usually he interrogated people and only didn't when he had already decided he didn't trust them. I was about to jump in and say I didn't know what when Aro continued, "They've been treating me a bit like a slave since I arrived. Maid, cook, chauffeur," he glanced at me. "Jasper was going to come but he isn't feeling well. I wasn't doing anything anyway. And it gave me a chance to hear the score in the car on the way over."

I saw Charlie soften very slightly. Then, while I watched with growing astonishment, they launched into a confusing dialogue about sports which I couldn't begin to follow but in which Aro apparently said all the right things because Charlie laughed—_laughed_—several times and relaxed visibly. A couple of times he even said, "You know, I've always said that _exact_ same thing."

When Aro finally apologized and said that Alice was probably waiting for me, Charlie smiled and patted me on the back, reminding me to get my coat. He actually invited Aro to watch a game at our house. Dear god. I couldn't imagine a more awkward thing. For me. After five minutes of sports gibberish, Charlie was acting like Aro was his new besty. It was like Aro had placed a spell on him. I should question him further about the possibility of him being a wizard . . .

I followed him down the front steps, trying not to look at him until we were in the car and the door was shut. I was staring at him with my mouth slightly open as we drove out of the yard but he just smiled at me without saying anything.

"How in the hell did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Um, charm the crap out of Charlie. I thought he was going to kiss you. I've never seen anything like that. It was like you read his mind or something and knew exactly what to say to make him _love_ you."

"That's silly, Isabella, people can't read minds," he said, pulling out onto the street.

"Well, they shouldn't be able to hear conversations across the street either."

"I know. It's _baffling_, isn't it?"

"God, you're annoying."

"Thank you."

"You're thanking me for calling you annoying?"

"Annoying? I thought you said, 'delightful'. Anyway, I'm sure that's what you meant to say."

_Oh no, what I was thinking was far, far more inappropriate, my beautiful, pasty little friend._

"So, are you planning on telling me more things today?"

"Like if I can read minds?" he said, grinning at me.

"Don't make fun of me."

"I wouldn't think of it."

We were speeding through the trees on the highway now. I'd always found it a little eerie at night but right now I had a sense of unknown foreboding hanging over me making it more unsettling than usual. I shivered.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes." I wasn't.

"Are you still thinking about what happened just now?"

Sure, that worked. "Yeah. That was crazy. He just invited you over like it was nothing but when he first saw you, I was sure he wasn't going to let me go anywhere with you. You could probably talk him into letting you _date_ me which would be pretty impressive."

"Oh, but you would have to be single for that and, as you keep reminding me, you _already have a boyfriend._"

"I don't, actually," I said. I was more muttering than speaking but I knew he could hear me. "Jacob broke up with me."

He stopped the car, abruptly, right in the middle of the road and before I could even register the sudden change in velocity, he was kissing me. His lips were cold like his hands but it wasn't unpleasant. Just strange. He opened his mouth slightly against mine and I immediately forgot about all other thought. He tasted . . . perfect. Subtly sweet and clean. Like fresh air. But the longer he kissed me a rich, dark element started to gather and increase in intensity, invading my senses and making me so dizzy I had to pull back because I was afraid I might black out.

He was still very close to me when I opened my eyes, his cold fingers just touching the side of my face.

"We probably shouldn't be stopped like this. People drive really fast out here . . ." I said but I was staring at his mouth. I wanted him to just keep kissing me forever and we could forget about everything else that had happened which had delayed this moment for so insanely fucking long.

"I'm a wonderful driver," he said softly. "I think we'll be fine."

"But we're not driving . . . " He was close enough that my words spilled out in a wispy hush against the skin of his cheek as I spoke.

"I excel at parking as well," he said and kissed me again. I leaned into him, lacing my fingers into his hair and kissing him back with embarrassing enthusiasm.

Finally, he ended our kiss and sat back leaving me leaning forward woozily into the space between our seats. "Plenty of time for that," he said and started driving again like there hadn't been any interruption in our journey.

I sat back too, staring straight ahead, completely disoriented. I heard him chuckle. Neither of us spoke until we got to the Cullen's. Now I saw why Jessica had been so crazy about coming here. It was impressive. Large, yes, but also beautiful and modern. Not like any other house in Forks, all of which were decades old and plain. This place was a mansion made of glass. Open and airy. I was glad Jessica had talked me into wearing nicer clothes. It would have been really uncomfortable coming here in my filthy Converse and a Muse t-shirt. I had hidden my black silky shirt under a sweater for Charlie's benefit, which I pulled off now and then held in an messy ball in my lap. Aro watched me do this and then took the sweater from me, placing it in the backseat. He looked at me carefully, his eyes coming to rest on the red pendant on my necklace again. I put my hand up to it.

"Why do you keep looking at this?"

He started like I had caught him doing something even though he was staring right at me.

"It's . . . red."

"Well, that clears that up. Are you autistic or something? Is that your big secret? Asperger's would explain a lot."

"I suffer from no mental defect."

"Wonderful. So, do you know what I'm doing here?"

"I don't know why I should. You are Alice's guest."

I opened my door to get out and he didn't move.

"Are you coming?" Oh, please, tell me he wasn't going to make me walk in there alone.

"Do you want me to?"

"I thought you were staying here."

"I am, but not in the main house."

"There's another house?" I couldn't keep the awe out of my voice.

"There's a sort of cottage. Back there." He pointed into the trees. "They said it was to give me privacy but I think maybe they don't like me very much."

"Why wouldn't they like you?"

"That question requires an extensive answer and I think we've kept Alice waiting long enough."

Seriously? I wanted to hit him but I restrained myself. "So, you're not going in?"

"I asked if you wanted me to."

"Why would that matter?"

"Because, now that you've let me kiss you, I'm not sure I have the ability to pretend our relationship is platonic. I've been known to be possessive." His voice had dropped into a much deeper range and his eyes dropped back to the pendant again. "My feelings and intentions toward you would be . . . plain."

I shivered again. Possessive. That should probably frighten me. It made my heart beat faster but I didn't think it was from fear.

"But don't they already know? I mean, hasn't Edward told them?"

"Edward has not said anything. I checked yesterday. Although Alice may know . . . something. It could be why she invited you."

"Alice invited me over because of a relationship with you before it existed?" I remember Jessica's comment about Alice trying to hook me up with Aro and I sincerely hoped that was not the case.

"She's strange like that. Intuitive. I did speak with Carlisle about you briefly on Saturday but it wasn't about this . . ." he said, trailing his fingers up my arm.

I was going to ask what it _was_ about but his hand had continued on across my shoulder and up the back of my neck into my hair making me feel warm and drowsy. He tilted my head back and pressed a cool kiss into hollow of my throat right above the pendant on my necklace, drawing a shaky gasp from me.

"Well, Isabella . . .?"

I definitely didn't want to go in there alone but I wasn't sure I wanted them all thinking I was Aro's _possession_ either. Even if it was basically true. I'd belonged to him the second I agreed to that weird date. I was obsessed.

"Okay."

He got out of the car and came around to my side. He took my hand as I got out and then closed the door and pushed me gently back against it. The pressure of his body against mine made me feel a bit lightheaded and I clung to him for support. But it wasn't just his proximity that was making me dizzy, he _smelled_ really good.

"Um, are you wearing something? Like cologne?"

"No." He had the tiniest smile on his face like he knew what I was referring to and was enjoying my confusion about it.

I smelled his shirt. Nothing. Shampoo maybe? But his hair wasn't particularly fragrant either. I stood up on my toes and put my face near his neck, under his ear. I inhaled and nearly lost my balance. He caught me easily, grinning a little. It was his skin. He was exuding this intoxicating, almost overpowering scent. I had never smelled anything like it. It was the olfactory twin of the way he'd tasted when we kissed. I breathed in again and closed my eyes, sagging against him weakly.

"Are we going to go inside or would you like to stand here in the driveway smelling me all night?"

"I might. You smell _really_ good."

"I promise I'll let you smell me as much as you like later but as you have no coat, we should probably go inside now."

The hair was standing up all over my bare arms. This new trend of weather inappropriate dress had to end soon.

"I don't usually dress like this . . ." I felt I needed to defend the impracticality of my wardrobe.

"I don't care how you dress." I must have had a weird look on my face because he amended this to, "I like you in whatever you're wearing."

That must be true if he started liking me in the restaurant. My work clothes were about as boring and dowdy as it got. He leaned in to kiss me again, but not like in the car, this was soft and quick. If he thought it was helping warm me up, he was wrong. A violent shudder seized me as his lips touched mine. He placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me away from the car towards the front door.

The door opened before we were even on the porch and Alice bounced out to greet me, giving me a hug. She had never hugged me before. It was definitely unexpected and I patted her back awkwardly. She was wearing a top with a low back so I felt her bare skin under my hand as I did this. She was freezing. And then I saw clearly the similarity in her skin and Aro's. They were both pale. And flawless.

And cold.

Aro was watching me carefully and I know he saw the mixture of confusion and comprehension come over my face as my eyes moved between them, silently comparing.

"I'm so glad you're finally here!" she trilled.

"Oh. I'm sorry if I'm late. You didn't say an exact time so . . ."

She smiled and I knew that she was not referring to the hour of my arrival today. I looked at Aro with narrowed eyes. I was going to be demanding a lot more information when he took me home. He put his hand on my waist and we followed Alice inside.

I expected it to be cold because they didn't seem fond of heaters but it was nice. Perfect. We followed Alice into a spacious living room where there was a large fireplace with what looked like a miniature bonfire built in it. I thought of Aro toting firewood again and this time I did laugh a little. He raised and eyebrow at me but didn't say anything.

Dr. Cullen and, I assume, his wife, were sitting on one of several obviously expensive couches. She was stunning. Just like the rest of them. And also very, very pale. Jasper appeared in the doorway then. Literally appeared. Like he was a magician doing a disappearing act in reverse. I jumped a little and that sense of unease I'd had in the car deepened. Aro was watching me now with a strange look on his face. It was like . . . greed. He was smiling very slightly and it made me unconsciously inch away from him. Then everything became intensely surreal all at once. Something was going on and only I didn't know what it was.

They were all staring at me. It was then, just then, that I noticed their eyes. How could I have not noticed them before? I saw them everyday in school. I even went out with Edward. But he'd spent the whole night looking away from me. It was impossible not to see now it now, with them a lot of them together in the same room though. They all had the same eye color. A stark, bright gold. Even Jasper. Why would Alice's boyfriend have they same eye color as her and her parents? Oh god, were _they_ related? Maybe they belonged to some freaky incest cult and the adoption stuff was a front. But Aro's eyes weren't gold. They were closer to black.

"Bella," Dr. Cullen addressed me. "It's very nice to see you looking well. Usually, I don't see anyone unless something bad has happened to them."

I glared at Aro. Something bad was going to happen to _him_ if he didn't tell me exactly what was going on soon. He was suppressing a smile. I saw his mouth twitch.

"You're sure?" Dr. Cullen asked with impressed interest.

What? Oh, he was talking to Aro.

"I'm certain. Edward can't either."

"And Jasper?"

Everyone looked at Jasper. And Jasper looked at me. Stared at me actually. I felt uncomfortable at first and then . . . peaceful. Relieved. Everything was fine. Wonderful in fact. I smiled dreamily.

"Fascinating," Aro said. He was looking undeniably possessive now. His fingertips grazed the inside of my arm and I flinched without meaning to.

The sudden rush of tranquility was draining away and paranoia was taking its place. This was speeding swiftly toward seriously freaking me the fuck out. I thought about just running out, I actually backed up a step but my heel caught something and I started to fall backwards. Aro caught me. But not like a normal person would, just grabbing my arm or breaking my fall. He snatched me out of mid-air and into his arms, our faces kissing distance away, my feet barely touching the ground. He could not have missed the fear in my face then. I struggled against him feebly. My heart was racing and that's when I felt that his wasn't. My hands were flat on his chest and I couldn't feel a heartbeat. I shifted my palms around searching with increasing horror. It wasn't there. Because he didn't _have a heartbeat_. Now I knew he wasn't like a normal person because he wasn't a person. He wasn't _human_. _They_ weren't human. Ohgodohgodohgod. I went limp in his hold, terror sweeping all of my energy away like a strong wind scattering leaves.

"It's okay," he whispered in my ear. "You are in no danger."

They were all watching me but their faces weren't menacing. They looked kind, harmless. Aro was holding me carefully in a way that made me sure I could get away if I wanted to.

"What—why am I here?" And for some reason, I didn't look at Alice, who had invited me or Aro who had brought me, I looked at Dr. Cullen. Maybe, in a panic, I just naturally turned to the most trusted authority figure most people knew: A doctor. A person we went to when things were the worst, believing they could make us better. Even if we already knew better. Like now.

He smiled at me and said, "You should sit down over there where it's warm, Bella." He gestured to a chair by the fire. And suddenly I was standing alone. Aro had let go of me and was across the room, leaning casually on a counter like he'd been there the whole time. I went slowly toward the chair. I didn't want to trip again. I didn't relax until I was sitting. They all watched me silently and it felt like it took a very long time.

Before anyone could speak, Emmett Cullen came into the room. He was at once lumbering and graceful. It had never been particularly noticeable before but now the incongruousness was disturbingly significant in the context of my new knowledge about his family.

"I thought I smelled fresh meat," he said with a moronic laugh. Emmett's heavily muscled appearance at Forks High School had caused a pretty large ripple. The football coach thought God had created and sent Emmett just to make his life worth living and when it was discovered that Emmett didn't play sports at all, people actually became a little hostile toward towards him like he had betrayed them by not playing the part he was so perfect for. Rosalie floated in after him. If he was a non-sports playing jock, Rosalie was his non-cheerleading cheerleader girlfriend. She had the pristine perfection of ten thousand prom queens smashed into glittering dust and then compressed into one sparkling, blond Stepford Teenager. They both had gold eyes as well I noted with vague interest. My ability to be shocked had a much higher bar after the last week. And after the last ten minutes.

Rosalie glared at me and shot an even dirtier look at Aro who smiled back at her with such supreme smugness I was surprised she didn't fly at him and attack him. She looked like she wanted to. Instead she rounded on Dr. Cullen.

"Is _this_ what we're doing here now? Sure, let's make it so we can_ never_ come back! That's just great, Carlisle!"

But it was Esme who spoke. She rose from the couch and everybody watched her. She was . . . warm. I wanted to hug her. She seemed safe. "Nothing is happening, Rose. And it wouldn't happen here even if it was. Everything is fine." Her voice was soothing and melodic, everyone relaxed at her words.

"I will decide that, actually," Aro said and his voice carried an unmistakable authority that everyone, even Rosalie, reacted to by becoming instantly more alert and formal. Who _was_ he? Probably their cult leader, of course! I have excellent taste.

"We live under a treaty here, Aro," Dr. Cullen said carefully.

"Yes, _you_ live under a treaty."

Rosalie's fear of or respect for Aro apparently didn't stretch very far because she was immediately venomous again. "They don't care _who_ it is!" She raved, stepping towards him. Everyone tensed. "They know! As soon as it happens,_ they know_ and they'll come after _us_ then. And I, for one, don't fancy being torn apart by a pack of smelly dogs!"

This whole conversation was both so terrifying and so ridiculous that I nearly laughed to keep from going completely insane.

"There are greater treaties than the one you keep. It is all about intent and _consent_," he said and looked at me on this last word. Everybody did.

I squirmed and shrank back in the chair.

Rosalie wasn't done. She was worse—and scarier—than Edward. "You don't have the _right_ to threaten our home this way, we haven't broken any laws so I don't even know why you came here in the first place or more confusingly why you're _still here_."

I heard the hiss of several people breathing in sharply through clenched teeth but no one tried to stop her.

"I figured you were up to something, you slimy bastard. And I would have said something sooner if I'd known it was this." She eyed me with disgust I didn't feel I deserved. "I can tell by the way she's acting that she doesn't _know_ so what are you going to do now that you've exposed us by bringing her here like this if she _doesn't want to be one of us_? Kill her? Force her? That's always worked out so well in the past. Like an unhappy newborn will be less dangerous than wer—" She cut herself off, finally seeming to realize she had said too much.

"You're doing a fine job of ripping your precious treaty to shreds all by yourself, my dear Rosalie," Aro said calmly. "Until you stormed in here in a towering, queenly huff and starting shouting about 'treaties' and 'dogs', our lovely guest knew nothing which could endanger her life or any of ours. I would say that she still does not. As long as you're finished that is."

Rosalie glared at him but didn't say anything else.

"And while Miss Swan's presence among us may be of greatest concern to me, it _wasn't me_ who invited her here tonight but rather Alice. So if you'd really like to know, you may ask her."

Alice smiled at Rosalie apologetically.

"Things can change still," she said but she sounded like she was just being nice. "You know it's not always set. But as of now, she's . . . going to be one of us. And it's her choice."

I leaped from my chair. I needed to get out of here but while they weren't blocking any of the exits and I knew they were all just as fast as Aro and running would be pointless if they didn't want me leaving. I swayed on the spot, my vision darkening like someone turning the light and dark dial on the back of a television set then like some silly girl in a black and white movie I felt myself collapse. Aro's voice, close by my ear said, "Thank you, Rosalie, I think you've done enough." But he sounded more amused than angry.

I knew I was only out for a few seconds because everyone was still there and I was still next to the fire when I came back. At least, I hoped it was only a few seconds. They were so still at first that it gave the impression they had been frozen there, waiting, for some time. I was suddenly, terrifyingly, reminded of an episode of _Doctor Who_ I had seen one night with Renee that had these statues which looked like angels and if you blinked or turned your back on them, they came to life and killed you. Angels. They all looked like angels. And they were cold like stone. And I was absolutely certain that they were capable of killing me easily whether or not I was paying attention at the time.

I sat up. "I need to go home." I wasn't sure if I was going to be allowed to. Maybe I was trapped now. Stuck here until I agreed to become one of them. Whatever they were.

"Of course," Aro said, smiling warmly.

"I want Alice to take me," I said. I didn't look directly at him but I saw his smile disappear. It made me feel sad. I didn't want to hurt him but this was all a little too much. I wasn't sure what would happen if I was alone with him right now. Maybe something too big for me to take in. I wasn't ready to hear anything else tonight. I just wanted to go home. He helped me off the ground, holding onto my arm loosely after I was standing.

"I'll walk you out," he said quietly. It was just barely a question. I nodded. Alice made a show of having to get her keys and let us go outside ahead of her. He stopped us next to a garage. Alice's car must be in there.

"Am I going to see you again?" All the smug confidence and mildly frightening authority he'd shown inside was gone and he was the Aro I knew again. Sweet, quiet and, as always, terrified of me rejecting him.

"I don't know." It had the hue of an apology in it.

"I told you that you were not in any danger," he continued. "That still stands."

"It's not that. I'm just confused. I—you're not . . . human, are you?" It felt completely bizarre coming out of my mouth.

"No."

"I don't want to know now," I said quickly. "I'm not ready."

"No, you're not."

"But you're going to tell me?'

"That depends on you. Now is the time to walk away, Isabella." He sounded pained.

"I can't decide this right now."

"That's . . . understandable. You should know that I didn't intend for this to happen here tonight. I wanted to wait. You know more than I would have told you tonight."

"I don't know anything."

"You do."

"Okay. Fine. I know some things."

"Do those things make you want to avoid me?"

"Maybe."

He looked away.

"I'm sorry. It's just . . . this is all getting really scary, Aro."

"It wasn't supposed to be. I wasn't going to tell you until later. When you trusted me more. Maybe cared about me a lot more . . ."

"Oh, so the plan was, make the dumb young girl fall in love with you and then seduce her into joining your cult? That's nice. Romantic," I said, sarcastically.

"That makes it sound a lot more villainous than necessary, I think."

I shrugged and he pulled me to him, placing his cool forehead against mine.

"Don't make me go away, please."

"Okay." I could smell him again this close and I wasn't sure if I could say "no" even if I wanted to which I did not.

"Do you need a ride to work tomorrow?" He was smiling again, showing a lot of startling perfect white teeth. This detail was suddenly vaguely alarming and I didn't know why.

"No," I said too quickly. "I'll find one. I think I just need to be away from you for a little while so I can figure out how I feel about all of this. You can call me."

He kissed my forehead and stepped away. Alice appeared right then. Perfect timing. Of course. Everything was perfect with them. A house of Barbies. A house of angels. Or devils. Now I had to decide if I wanted to find out which it was.

He waved at me in a pretty good imitation of my awkward I-can't-talk-because-my-mouth-is-full-of-chocolate one from the day before and I waved back. Alice opened the garage revealing a bright yellow classic Mercedes. I gaped at it. I wasn't into cars, but you didn't have to be. It was objectively awesome.

He was standing on the porch looking distinctly miserable as we went by. He was a little desperate. That should have been annoying but since I was feeling about the same way, I could hardly judge him for it. I turned my head to watch him until the house disappeared behind the dark trees.

"You really like him," Alice said when we were down the road from the house.

"I guess so. Is that stupid?"

"I don't know. It just probably means a lot to him, I should warn you. Not everyone likes him."

"Yeah well, I'm pretty sure_ you're_ the only person on the planet that_ everyone_ likes."

"I'm certain that isn't true, but thank you. A lot more people dislike him than most is all."

"Why? Is he actually a complete asshole and I'm that dumb girl that's all like, 'Oh, no. He's _perfect,_ you just don't _know_ him!' while he steals money from my grandma and spends it on crack and hookers?"

"That was . . . vivid. But no, he just has an unlikable job. Anytime you're the one who has to tell people what they can't do you're going to end up with a lot of people who don't like you."

"So he _is_ your cult leader?"

"This is probably something he'd like to tell you about himself actually. I'll just say you're going to hear some unpleasant things about him if you stay around and you shouldn't judge him too quickly when you do."

"I'm won't." I think.

"Well good, because he likes you. _A lot._"

"That makes me uncomfortable."

"He just thinks you're special."

"Well then he's delusional because I am spectacularly average."

"He's been called far worse things. And I think you're underestimating your potential, Bella. He's good at finding extraordinary people and if he thinks you are, believe me, you are."

"Are you saying he goes around looking for people he thinks are 'special' for your cu—'family'."

"Are you wondering if Aro's interest is just in recruiting you to expand our kind?"

"Well, Rosalie kind of made it sound like he was going to make me . . . breed with him."

Alice actually snorted laughter at this.

"What? She said 'force' and 'unhappy newborn'. What was I supposed to think?"

"Oh, that did sound bad now that I hear it from your perspective. I can assure you, he will not force you to do anything least of all 'breed' with him." She laughed again like this was the most ridiculous joke she'd ever heard.

"So what you told Rosalie about me. Are you like psychic or something?"

"I . . . know things sometimes."

"And you 'know things' about me""

"I know things that are_ possible_ about you."

"Are you _possibly_ going to tell me?"

"Do you want me to?"

"I don't know. I've always thought psychic stuff was just a bunch of guessing and bullshit elaborating on vague hints so if it's stuff I could just make up myself . . ."

"Well, it's not like that. I don't know if you'd believe me if I told you now though."

"Oh I think I'd believe just about anything right now."

"How about you ask me exactly what it is that you want to know about what I know about you and then we can go for the big stuff later."

I shook my head to try to snap what she'd said into place. "Okay. Um, you said you knew I would become like you. When did you know that?"

"At senior prom. I just didn't know _when_. Until Aro arrived and I saw you together."

"So it was 'fate'?" I didn't believe in fate. I was trying to figure out how "mystical" she was so I knew how full of crap she might be.

"Nothing is certain," she said sadly. "We control our futures. Sometimes coincidence is beautiful though isn't it?"

Damn. She was serious.

"Sooo, where do you guys keep your space ship?"

"Oh, I've always wanted to go to space!" She actually took her hands from the wheel so she could clap.

"You're kind of adorable, Alice."

"I'm really glad you're going to be one of us, Bella. I've always liked you."

"_Maybe_ one of you. Once I find out what you are."

"Right. Maybe," she said, the way you tell a toddler that they can stay up really late because you know they'll be asleep before eight-thirty anyway.

"So I'm going to ask you something. This is my best not-insanely-scary guess. I want a yes or no answer and no details either way. Okay?"

"Okay."

Pressed my fingertips together in front of my lips. "Are you cyborgs?"

"No."

"Okay. Well, that's good. It was just that your skin is all hard and cold and you can move super fast. And you thought the breeding thing was really funny. Also, you guys look _exactly_ the same as when you got here. I mean, I know it's only been two years but we're teenagers, we tend change a lot kind of quickly . . ."

"So would you have wanted to become like us if we were cyborgs?"

"I don't know. That sounds like it would require a lot of cutting and soldering and removing of guts . . ."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that we all got to keep our guts then."

"Cool. Um, hey can you drop me at my friend's house instead? My dad will think it's strange I wasn't gone for very long. It's not far . . ."

"Sure. Show me where."

I watched her taillights fade before I knocked on Jessica's door. As I heard the handle turn, I realized that she would _also_ want an explanation about why I was back early. But wait, she didn't know when I _went_. I was getting really jumpy with all this secrecy. And I didn't even know what secret I was keeping!

She was wearing fuzzy Hello Kitty pajamas and had a spoon sticking out her mouth. Her face perked up as soon as she saw me. She dragged me inside and straight up the stairs to her room, apparently abandoning whatever she'd been eating. She shut the door, jumped onto her bed and bounced into a sitting position to face me with an expectant look.

"Jacob broke up with me."

That was not what I had practiced as my opening line.

"_What!?_ Was it because of Dracula?"

"No . . . wait, Dracula?"

"Oh. Sorry. Know you don't like that."

"It's . . . fine. I don't know why Jacob broke up with me. He wouldn't tell me." I sounded calm but my heart was beating so fast it hurt.

_Dracula._

Vampires.

Pale.

Beautiful.

Cold.

Dead.

_But immortal._

When I asked how old he was, He said, "About three thousand," and didn't sound like he was kidding. The Cullens hadn't aged since they got here because they _didn't_ age.

When I asked about Edward saying I could die he said, "I can assure you that if it's in my power, you will live for a very long time . . . " as an immortal bloodsucker.

He sounded disappointed when I said I liked the sun.

And _far_ too interested in my intolerance of the smell of blood.

He said he'd "changed" but he was born a man.

He said he, "wasn't always so pale."

Because he wasn't always a _vampire_. Aro was a vampire. He'd been telling me all along. People joined their group when they changed. He wanted _me_ to become a vampire. His bloody vampire bride. Bloody. He drinks people's blood. And he kissed me. And I liked it. So much that I was still thinking about it only a minute ago in Alice's car. Because he'd _tasted_ so good. I wanted to throw up.

Jessica was still talking and I had to ask her to repeat herself.

"I_ said,_ 'What did Jacob say?' What's wrong with you? Did Aro break up with you too?"

"No, he . . . kissed me."

"Nice. So is he your boyfriend now?"

Boyfriend. Undead stalker. Whatev. "I don't know. It just happened tonight. That's kind of rushing."

"Whatever. He's obsessed with you, you're obsessed with him. What are you waiting for? He's rich. Tie him down while you can. Oooh, pretend you're knocked up."

I retroactively got Alice's private joke from the trip over here and laughed just as oddly. I don't think dead people can breed . . .

"Yeah, trapping guys into a relationship isn't really my style."

"Well, then good luck being a spinster."

"I'm not sure I like that you think my options are: trap someone or die alone."

You forgot die and not be alone!

"Those are everybody's options."

"So you think you'd need to trap Mike?"

She sighed heavily and started picking at her nail polish with compulsive precision.

"Jessica?"

"He's asked me to marry him like seventy-five times . . ."

There was a notable lack of the usual bubblyness in her voice.

"Oh. And you don't want to marry him . . . ?"

"I don't want to be stuck in Forks forever."

It was the first time I had ever heard her express any sort of dissatisfaction with her life.

"And you think he wouldn't want to leave?"

"I know he wouldn't. He's going to stay here, run his dad's store and never go anywhere. And I can be a housewife and have a pack of babies and get super fat and gross and lame."

"It's not wrong to not want that life, Jess. No one is making you stay here. You should probably tell him that though."

"Yeah, well, I love him."

_Aw._ "Well then you need to decide if that's enough."

"I already know it's not."

"Then you should leave Forks if that's what you want."

"Yeah. I guess, but where would I go?"

"I don't know, go to Seattle. That's not far away. You could go to school."

"Maybe. Do you want to go with me?"

"I—what?"

"Come on, you hate Forks. And if you're not going to shack up with The Count then you should get out of here."

"He doesn't live here anyway. He's just visiting." I had almost forgotten that. It made my chest tight.

"Where does he live?"

"Italy." And he sleeps in a coffin!

"Oh, _fuck Seattle_. Go to frigging Italy and have vampire babies with him! I can visit you! It's perfect. Do that."

"Um. Well, when you say it like that . . . _it still sounds completely insane_. I hardly know him."

But we'd have _plenty_ of time to get to know each other . . . after we spent the first century perpetually naked . . .

She shook her head like I was the most exasperating person ever to not immediately run away with an almost stranger just because he happened to be rich and foreign.

"Whatever. Tell me about the Cullen's then."

"Their house is really big."

"Things I _don't_ already know."

Oh, so many things you do not know, Jessica. Let's see, _they're vampires!_ That's why everything about them is weird weird weird and why they always disappeared on sunny days last school year and why they never fucking came to the cafeteria at school and why they all look like they've been airbrushed for a photo shoot 24-7.

"A lot of it is these giant glass walls. It's . . . open."

"And?"

"And I don't know. It's a really fancy house. It's pretty."

"You are the worst person to ever have sent there. You didn't deserve to go."

Maybe I'll invite you next time, Jess. They might be hungry. I giggled ridiculously. I was losing my mind. That was far from funny.

"Sorry. I met Esme though. She's really pretty," I offered.

"That's something! God, they're _all_ pretty. What the hell is with that? It's unnatural."

Yes it is, Jess, yes it is.

"Was Rosalie there?"

"It's her house."

"Ug. I hate that bitch."

"Yeah, she's a bit . . . abrasive . . . " and supernaturally terrifying.

"I think you mean 'stuck up tramp.'"

"How can she be a tramp if she's had the same boyfriend forever?"

Literally forever.

"Don't be lame, Bella. She's prettier than you, she's a tramp. Did no one teach you anything about being a girl?"

"I guess not. So should I take it as an insult that you've never called me a tramp then?"

"You don't say it to their face," she said grumpily.

Holy shit, did Jessica actually think I was prettier than her? It was a little like she had turned into this person I had never met in the last few days. She was half the old Jessica and half some new version. I preferred the new one but it was disorienting.

Everything was.

I wanted to talk to Jacob.

I wanted to talk to Aro.

I didn't want to talk to anyone.

It was almost ten when I got home. I'd eventually bored her into watching TV instead of talking about the Cullens or Aro and discovered during an episode of Grey's Anatomy in which she pointed out the many medical inaccuracies that she actually had an impressive knowledge of medical things she'd picked up, I assume, from her murder shows. I found myself wishing I had spent more time getting to know Jessica when we were in high school. I was so miserable when I first moved here that I didn't really make an effort to connect with anyone around me other than Jacob who got my attention by merely being persistent. And by building me a motorcycle the summer after Junior year which was confiscated forever by Charlie a week later after a very minor scrapes-and-bumps accident. Which was okay anyway because I wasn't a thrill seeker and that way I didn't have to disappoint Jacob.

"See you tomorrow, bitch!" she said when she dropped me off. "And watch out for any 'love bites' from your new boyfriend. Unless you want a permanent Halloween costume . . . " I shut the car door on the sound of her laughing.

She thought she was being hilarious but her words made my stomach cold. That was _exactly_ what he wanted.

And I wanted . . . him.

I still wanted him.

So much it hurt.

* * *

END NOTES:

Ah, Rosalie's Rant. Another final edit edition. For some reason I love the part where she calls him a "slimy bastard." It just makes me laugh.

Um, so Alice is the hardest character to write for me so if she's a little "off," that's why. However, there is a reference in her dialogue to a wacky WIP set far in the future . . . in space. They're humans, the Volturi are aliens. Cross-species busy times. I don't know why I put references to my own stories in my stories. I can't help myself.

According to my husband, the episode of _Doctor Who_ which Bella mentions aired after the year this would have been set. Factual errors. Bleh.

Think that's all.

Oh, wait. There was all that kissing nonsense, huh? Was that good enough for you? Also, if you go by Kristen and Michael's heights, Aro is about four inches taller than Bella. So you can factor that in when you imagine him telling her she belongs to him and then holding her against the side of a car. See, sometimes my facts are _sexy!_

**AnaBookWorm, i**f you mention laughing at a chapter, you have to tell me which part because if you don't _it will torture me until the day I die._ I'm not kidding.

**Savysnape7,** I quoted your butterflies thing on my facebook. I hope that's okay. I just thought it was adorable.

**Cerahale**! My super fan! Good to see you. Glad you like this story. Sorry about the delay in AYW.


	6. A Truly Fantastic Rainstorm

**Warnings: Ah, the _warning_. I hate these because they're basically just spoilers so I've decided to do something a little odd here and put it at the _end_ of the chapter that way if you're concerned about content you can shield your screen and scroll down until you see the bold text before starting this chapter and everyone else can have a super fun surprise! There. Duty done.**

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******Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

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AN~Okay. Here are your instructions:

1. Take a deep breath.

2. Read this while you're alone because you _do not_ want anyone seeing your face while you do.

3. Leave me a review if your brain still works after.

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**6**

Tuesday was utterly, almost depressingly, uneventful. It was so much like my life before Aro that I was reminded, unhappily, of how repetitive and tedious it was then. He had just appeared one day, uninvited, and destroyed the dull tranquility of my existence with his stupid pretty face. He had given my world color even before we started talking. Afterwards it was like a painting being created in layers. I still couldn't see the subject of the picture but it looked far more interesting than what I was looking forward to before which was to someday shake myself out of the apathy of living in Forks long enough to leave it. There was the promise of something else now. I really didn't know what his intentions were other than that he wanted and, based on Alice's "knowing", _expected_ me to become a vampire. If I knew what that involved I could make a more clear decision about how to react when I saw him again. I could try to pretend I still didn't know but that seemed pointless, I couldn't even lie about small things, it would be monumentally impressive if I managed not to just yell, "Holy shit, you're a fucking vampire!" the second I came into contact with him.

I listened for the phone all day, checking the dial tone a million times like the first time I waited for his call, my heart getting heavier and more achy every time when it was working perfectly.

I went to work and came home and flipped through the call ID, not really expecting to find an unknown number but disappointed anyway when there wasn't one. I read a book, or rather, stared at a book for an hour and then went to sleep where I dreamed about Aro and Jacob playing Monopoly on a beach and Jacob told me I couldn't play because I always stole money from the bank and I said I was going swimming anyway and then I got attacked by a Styrofoam shark and Aro laughed at me and said, "Even fake sharks think you're delicious." I woke up and sleepily called him some very childish names in the dark before going back into a thankfully dreamless, though not very restful, sleep.

By the next morning I had decided he must have decided I wasn't worth it and I should forget about him. It had only been a day but I'd told him he could call and my experience until now told me that he'd take any opportunity to see or talk to me if he could.

I tried to convince myself it was better because I had no idea if I wanted to become like them and no idea what would happen to me if I didn't. He'd said they kept themselves a secret from everyone who wasn't a vampire and there had been multiple allusions to people who knew about them being killed if they wouldn't change. I didn't know if it was hormones, but I was irrationally unconcerned about that detail right then and I was grateful I didn't know his number because I was afraid I might call him in a desperate panic and beg him to both not leave me and also not kill me until I could figure this out.

That morning was somehow bleaker and less eventful than the one before even though they were nearly identical. And I wasn't going to be working to fill the time at night because Danielle had asked me to work for her on Saturday and taken my Wednesday shift in exchange.

And Charlie was heading to Seattle. It wasn't like we really hung out a lot at home, but it was nice to know there was someone else in the house with me.

The most exciting thing happening was the storm. Charlie was leaving a little earlier because of it. As much as I didn't particularly enjoy the perpetual damp here, I actually loved the violent summer storms.

I followed Charlie out onto the porch when he left, like a family pet anxious about its owner departing.

"I asked Harry to drop in and check on you," he said uncomfortably. Neither of us were big on goodbyes. Or hellos. If we could just skip to the comfortable middle, that would be perfect.

"No, dad. I'll be fine. Really. There's a giant storm, going out to check on me is dumb. I'm staying in the house, doors locked, eating frozen pizza, watching _Lifetime_. I swear."

"Well, tomorrow then."

"Sure. I'll probably go see Jess but if I do I'll leave a note on the door that says, _'Totally not dead, thanks for checking.'_"

When he was gone I sat down on the porch feeling crushingly pathetic for the amount of moping I was doing about Aro's lack of contact. The concrete of the porch was cold. I put my hands out flat on either side of me to feel its chill under my palms. Cold stone. Aro's skin. No. I wasn't thinking about that. I refused to mope any longer. I actually thought about calling Jacob but I was still too angry about what he'd done.

Several raindrops landed on the short stretch of pavement in front of me. I watched them slowly multiply as though a bunch of invisible, watery creatures with perfectly round feet were congregating there and leaving damp circular foot prints as they ran around on the ground in unrecognizable patterns at my feet. They grew in number and overlapped quickly until all of it was grey and heavy rain was rushing down in front of me in an almost solid crashing sheet. I heard the phone ring, faintly, underneath this. I didn't register it at first, then when I did I tried to stand and turn at the same time making me trip and causing a large scrap on my palm as it skidded against the stone. I ripped the door open and dived at the phone. I pushed the button but the ringing had stopped at the same moment my finger touched it so I wasn't sure if it was because I had answered or because I had missed it.

But a far away voice was coming out of the speaker in my hand. I put it to my ear after taking a steadying breath.

"Hello?"

"Isabella?"

I was glad no one could see me because I was certain the expression on my face looked as stupid as it felt.

"Aro."

"I waited. I wanted to let you think. Like you wanted. But then I . . . didn't want to wait anymore."

"I said you could call . . ."

"I know. I just wanted to make sure I didn't interrupt your thinking. So you'd be more sure. Me hanging around being 'hard to resist' would have skewed the results unfairly in my favor I think . . ."

"Yeah, probably."

That was a really smart observation actually. My head was much clearer now after being away from him even though I hadn't liked it.

"What are you doing right now?" he asked with a forced casualness that betrayed that he was as anxious to see me as I was to see him.

"Sitting in my house, waiting for the power to go out."

Making it dark in here and requiring me to light candles . . . for purely practical purposes.

"What?"

"The power always goes out during storms here."

"Oh. Right. I never know what you're going to say . . ."

"Why would you?"

"Most people are . . . easy to read."

"Ah, well, I guess I'm Charles Dickens then."

Silence.

"Charles Dickens. He's . . . hard to read," I explained my joke awkwardly.

"I got it," he said.

"Just not funny, huh? Welp, your turn to say something stupid now."

"I like you."

"That's not stupid."

"Isn't it?"

"Okay, maybe."

"What else are you doing?"

"Other than waiting for the power to go out?"

"Yes, other than that."

"Maybe the dishes. Before the water shuts off."

"There's plenty of water outside."

"Wow. Yours was _way_ stupider than mine. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Can I come and see you?"

"You can't drive in this. It's not safe."

"I won't drive."

"Aren't you afraid my dad will wonder why you would trudge through a storm just to come to our house?"

"No. He's not there."

"How do you know he's not here? Are you watching my house?"

"No. I can hear it in your voice. You wouldn't sound like that if he was there, he knows you broke up with your boyfriend."

Whoa. "What voice? How do I sound?"

"Sexy."

I grabbed the edge of the counter because my knees had given up supporting my weight suddenly.

"Oh—Okay."

"Okay, I can come there?"

"Yeah."

I heard a faint click. Holy crap. He was coming here. Right now. I looked down at myself. I was wearing a ratty tank top and old jeans. I should go change. A movement in the back yard made me halt mid-dash for the stairs. Through the kitchen window I saw a dark spot moving out in the rain along the tree line where the yard became the forest.

I opened the back door and stepped outside, the uneven boards and peeling paint of the porch against the soles of my feet anchored the moment in reality. This was real, he was here, standing at the other side of the yard under the cover of the trees and what happened next would determine many things about my life, maybe even everything about it.

Trance-like, I stepped down into the rain. I was soaked in seconds but I didn't even notice. I broke into a dangerous run on the slick grass, meeting him halfway between the house and the forest. He caught me as I slid into him and I was already so drenched in freezing rain that his lips didn't even feel cold when we kissed. We were the same temperature. We could be forever if I wanted it.

An unknown warmth was spreading through me, imaginary and doing nothing to drive away the cold from the rain but powerful enough to make me gasp and have to cling to his wet clothes for balance. I was feeling a pleasant kind of dizziness I had never experienced before. Something like joy, but brighter and fiercer, enveloped me. I was elated and terrified and all rational thought had fled. All of those things I had been waiting to feel with Jacob, sure they would take time. All of those things people used to describe being in love. I didn't know if I was but my body and mind were doing a pretty good imitation of someone who was.

I pulled away and grabbed his hand, ready to run for the house but he picked me up in one single, elegant motion and then set me back on my feet a moment later on the dry porch. We stood there, dripping water, our faces still close.

I was breathing hard, near hyperventilating, every cell in my body vibrating on some alien frequency that felt strong enough to destroy me but was so pure and sweet I didn't feel any fear.

He wasn't breathing like he'd just run through the woods or was just kissing me rather wantonly in the middle of a truly fantastic rainstorm. I put my hand on his chest and felt again his lack of a heartbeat. His chest wasn't moving like he was breathing either. Because he wasn't. But of course I knew these things. I knew what he was. He placed his hand over mine, holding it there as though forcing me to acknowledge that he wasn't alive in the traditional sense.

He watched me carefully, a sort of helpless look on his face, a plea to accept that he was something that wasn't human and then to accept him as that thing. But I knew already that I didn't care. I didn't care what he was. I only cared that he was mine.

I took his hand again and led him inside and through the house to the stairs. When we reached the top step, the few lights that were on went dark leaving only the dim, grey light of the stormy day left to guide us. I pulled him into my room and shut the door. No one was here but it felt weird to leave it open. He glanced quickly around my room in the dim, rain streaked light from the windows and then back at me. I realized peripherally how messy it was and found I didn't really care right then.

He started to say my name and I cut him off in a way that would probably be legally considered assault if he weren't receptive to my advances. I plastered myself against him kissing him with shameless impatience. A moment later we were on my bed. He'd moved us so fast I didn't even register it until I felt the soft, dry blankets against my back.

I could tell he was holding his weight off of me but he was still heavy. He really was just a living statue. Not a person. Well, not a human. Not a living, breathing teenage boy which is who I understood that I was _supposed_ to be sneaking into my room while my parent was away.

He may not have been a teenage boy but I was still a teenage girl and despite popular belief, girls definitely want to have sex. I was too overwhelmed with the relief and excitement of seeing him after thinking I might not to even feel anxious. Too much clothing between us was my only immediate concern.

My top had been light blue and so thin in the first place that I might as well have not been wearing it at all since the rain had rendered it purposeless in terms of modesty. I pulled at the bottom of his shirt and he docilely let me take it off of him. His skin was uniformly pale and unblemished all over. I ran my hands up his back and he gasped and pulled away a little bit, wetting his lips nervously.

"Are you okay?"

"I am . . . just not sure this is a good idea."

"Why not?" I raised my face up and inhaled under his jaw. He smelled just as good as before, but with a faint layer of clean Pacific-Northwest rain over the top of it. I let out a small moan and pressed my face closer to his skin. He tugged my head back and I felt his cool lips land roughly on my throat. Through the red haze of hormones which had engulfed my rational brain, I remembered Jessica's joke about not letting him bite me. I wasn't sure I had the ability to say no to such a thing right now. Ridiculously, I was more concerned about a hickey that Charlie would see than that Aro might just decide to go ahead and make me into a vampire. Or a meal.

But he only kissed me softly, letting some of his weight relax on top of me again. I managed to slip my hands between us and started to undo his belt, he made a short, strangled noise and his hand flew down to stop me.

"Oh, uh, that's . . . no. We are not going to be doing that right now."

"Why? Are you a virgin?" I teased. I didn't know why I was making fun of him, _I_ was a virgin.

"No, not really. I mean, no. I've just never done that with . . . someone like you."

"A girl or a human?"

"A _human,_" he said with a slightly exasperated tone.

"So why can't you start now?" I asked, moving in so I could kiss his neck right in that spot under his ear where I had first discovered he smelled so good.

"Because I could hurt you too easily," he said and I was pleased to hear a very small tremor in his voice in response to my lips moving along his jaw away from his ear where I had started.

"Hurt me how?" I asked, my mouth level with his now but not touching.

"I'm . . . very strong."

"So we'll be _very_ careful."

He laughed shakily.

"There are other ways I could hurt you. Without wanting to . . . if I lost control."

I sighed. Why not? I'd obviously already decided against outright rejection.

"I _know_, Aro."

"You know what?"

"I know what you are." I grinned, exposing my upper teeth and clicking my fingernail against one of my canines, its sharp point hanging down lower than the rest, the obvious and classic location of vampire fangs.

"You knew this and you let me come into you room and—" He surveyed my indecent state of dress and his own semi-nakedness with surprise like he didn't know how he'd gotten here. He recoiled from my hand which had been on his cheek, tugging it away to examine the fresh scrape there, a little bit of dried blood at the center. "Are you depressed?" he asked incredulously.

"I'd have to be really sad to make out with you?"

"No, I was wondering if you were suicidal. What sane girl would knowingly bring a creature like me into her room and put herself in such a . . . compromising position. You know what I do!"

"You said you wouldn't hurt me. I didn't see how me knowing what you are would change that . . ."

He was eyeing me, completely baffled by my apparently incomprehensible behavior.

"You kept things from me but you admitted you were and you never directly lied to me that I know of and now that I know what you were hiding, I know that you were right to keep it from me. Knowing before would have been dangerous."

"And you don't think it's dangerous to be here with me like this now? Alone?"

"Well, other than all of those times you adorably threatened my life, you've never given me any reason to think you meant me any harm. Also, I feel I can probably admit to you now that I actually _do_ think you're super dreamy and that may be clouding my judgment."

"Have I told you that I really, really like you?"

"You've mentioned it."

"How long have you known? Because if you've known for a while and you were just messing with me," he put his hand on his chest over his still heart like it would stop beating if it wasn't already, "that would be very cruel. After Monday I was terrified you would never speak to me again. That if _that_ was too much, you'd never be able to accept what I am."

"Well, apparently I can. I put it together on Monday night, after Alice dropped me off."

"What was it that made you realize it?"

"Well, you left some really obvious hints for one thing. 'Oh, Bella, did you notice I'm really pale? I'm also three thousand years old. Just kidding! How do you feel about the sun? Are you maybe _super_ into blood by the way? Why, yes, I _do_ have super powers, thank you for asking!'"

"I never said I was kidding. You just assumed I was."

"So you_ are_ three thousand years old?"

"I'm not actually sure. Most of us don't remember much about being human. And it's just been a long time since I was turned so I can't be certain, but yes, around there."

"And in _all_ that time you never thought about getting busy with some sexy human lady? I kind of don't believe you . . ."

"I'm sorry. It's true though."

"It's totally okay. I mean, I already like you. If you were a huge slut before we met, I'm not going to judge you. Unless you have some kind of undead venereal disease, in which case, you're right, we should just be friends."

"I was sort of busy for the first dozen centuries and then well, I am technically . . . married so . . ."

I would have slapped him if I wasn't afraid of hurting my hand. I tried to push him away but of course it was pointless, he was way too heavy.

"I said _'technically'_, we haven't really been together for a while. She doesn't even live in Italy. I'm as single as I will ever be able to be."

"Meaning you will be married to someone else no matter what happens with us?" I hoped the full weight of my anger was apparent.

"Well, that depends on what you mean by 'married'. I made life and death wedding vows to someone who is still alive. Even if there existed paperwork, it was a Catholic wedding. They don't believe in divorce."

This was the most preposterous conversation I had ever had. "'Catholics don't believe in divorce'. That's your excuse for adultery. Really? Are you a Catholic? Do you believe in God?"

"Not really."

"Not really you're not a Catholic or not really you don't believe in God?"

"That's . . . a confusing thing you said. But I think, both. I don't know about God and I do not practice Catholicism."

"So what's the problem?"

"I don't know. Is there one?"

"That depends on if there is some crazy vampire woman out there who is suddenly going to roll into town and tear my heart from my chest with her bare hands."

"Whoa, _vampire?_ What?"

I actually did raise my hand like I was going to hit him. He recoiled dramatically.

"Don't hurt me!"

"I wish I could," I said a bitterly.

"Why do you want to hurt me? I thought you liked me."

"I do. You're just infuriating."

He kissed me and I settled for biting him even though I knew it did nothing.

"So, now that the 'V' word has been said, is there anything you'd like to know?"

"What? About you being a virgin? Not really. Pretty straight forward. It's nothing to be embarrassed about, there are tons of three-thousand-year-old virgins out there."

He smiled at me indulgently. "Isabella. _I am not a virgin._"

"It's all right, it's kind of cute. You were totally saving yourself for me."

"You're so accepting of all my dark secrets."

"Actually, I'm just relieved you can't read minds because that would be _really_ annoying."

"Why do you think I can't read minds?"

"Because if you could, you would have stopped me long before I tried to take your pants off if the goal was to keep me from attempting to have sex with you . . ."

He giggled crazily, a stunned look on his face. It was about then that my teeth started chattering.

"You're freezing! I'm sorry," he started to move and I clung to him.

"No, I'm fine, really." I wasn't sure he would let himself get into this situation with me again and I didn't want to waste it.

"You're not fine, you're hypothermic, put on dry clothes immediately," he commanded.

I sighed and stood. Then turned back around to face the bed.

"You know, you _are_ in my room. And this_ is_ where I keep my clothes so if you want me to change, I'm afraid you're going to be forced to see me without them for a minute. Hope that's not too traumatizing for you . . ."

I lifted the hem of my shirt, exposing my stomach and the bottom of my ribcage. I saw him swallow but he didn't look away. I crossed my arms and lifted it off, dropping it in his lap. He ignored the wet shirt but didn't shy away from the opportunity to see me at least partially unclothed. He took a deep breath and shook his head. I reached back to undo my bra and in a flash he had me in his arms, pressed against him, holding my wrists behind my back with one hand. He carefully tilted my head back with the other, his thumb pressing up on my jaw to create an extreme angle in my neck. He placed his lips very lightly against the base of my throat and I inhaled sharply and then moaned when he ran his tongue from the hollow in the center of my collar bone to the vulnerable triangle of flesh tucked under my chin. My pulse was completely erratic and I'm sure he could feel it under his lips as they moved over my skin with maddening caution. He inhaled the way I had done with him and then opened his mouth at the point on my neck where the vibrant thrum of my blood echoed in my veins so close to the surface. I felt his teeth graze me. My breathing at this point was about as chaotic as my heartbeat and I moaned again, louder, when he did this.

"You think I'm so _tame_, the way you tease me, my precious Isabella," he said quietly in my ear. "But you would not be making those noises if you had any idea how delicious your sweet, rich blood smells to me."

I gasped but it wasn't fear. He undid the clasp of my bra and slipped it out from between us but he didn't look down, he just held me against him for a few more moments. The shocking contrast in the textures of our bare skin was another reminder that he really was not human. This was real. And he was really what he claimed.

I was shivering but I was afraid to pull away because I wasn't feeling quite as much an exhibitionist now and wasn't sure I actually wanted him to see me this naked just yet. But he made it easy by kissing my forehead and then turning me away without even peeking which was impressive. Even I would have looked and I'm nowhere near gay.

I don't know if he watched me while my back was turned and I removed the rest of my clothes over by my closet. I heard him make a strange noise when I removed my damp underwear but that was all. When I turned around again he was looking intently at the ceiling like da Vinci had come in and painted a mural there while I was changing.

"I could put your clothes in the dyer," I said, trying to sound business-like and not seductive while suggesting he actually take his pants off this time.

"Oh I don't think it's a good idea to take any more clothes off around you."

"You're stronger than me, what could I possibly do?" I asked innocently.

"You have other powers," he said, keeping his eyes heroically on my face and not straying to the thin t-shirt I was wearing, under which I had very obviously not replaced my wet bra with anything.

I snorted. "Fine, I'm going to dry my hair. And I'm drying your shirt at least," I said, snatching it up before he could protest.

He was was sitting on the foot of my bed, fully dressed in clean clothes with dry hair when I got back to the room not ten minutes later.

"How—"

"I went home. You took forever by the way."

"But it's still raining and you're completely dry."

"I can't give away all my secrets, Isabella, you'd get bored with me and realize I'm just a creepy old man and not like me anymore."

I tackled him and he let me push him back onto the bed. I kissed his neck and face but the hormonal swell of earlier had abated so I just lay against his chest, listening to the silence within. He put his arms around me.

"That's better. You're warm now. So, when do you need to kick me out?"

"What do you mean?"

"When will your father be back?"

I smiled in a way that I knew looked predatory and he must have recognized it because a wariness entered his eyes.

"Tomorrow," I said. "Maybe the next day. He had to go to Seattle for a trial."

"Okaaaay." He breathed out in rush.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Breathe. I mean, you don't need to right?"

"Not for air, no. I need it to speak obviously but the rest of the time it's just habit I guess."

"You have human habits you've had for three thousand years?"

"You have a wrong idea about vampires. We don't become perfect in any way but bodily. The rest is all still you."

"So, is that why you're so dorky around me? You're afraid of girls?"

"Not all girls, just you. You make me feel . . . stupid."

"Good stupid or I make you feel like you are stupid?"

"Good stupid. Like I don't know what to say and I don't know what you're going to say and I feel giddy and kind of scared."

"I am familiar with those symptoms," I said smiling goofily.

He kissed me, his hands tracing the contours of my body in a frustratingly controlled way until he finally stopped after a few minutes, pushing me back. I felt he was shaking a little bit. I wasn't sure if it was adorable or weird that I made him so nervous. He smiled at me apologetically and I went for adorable.

"So, are you going to stay with me tonight?"

"Are you going to behave?"

"Do you really want me to?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "I really need you to behave or I can't spend this much time close to you. And I like being close to you . . ."

"Fine then. We'll _talk_."

He convinced me to get under the covers so he could hold me without me shivering and I was glad afterwards because he let me get closer to him and lay my head where I could breathe in his wonderful unique scent while we talked.

"So, tell me what other fancy stuff you can do."

"I can read minds."

"You need a new joke."

"It's not a joke. I can read minds."

"Okay, what am I thinking right now."

"I have no idea."

"You're really bad at this game. You could have at least made something up. Like, 'You're thinking about taking my clothes off,' and you would have been really close."

"I cannot read your mind."

"Yes, you cannot read minds. Moving on."

"No, Isabella. I mean I cannot read_ your_ mind. I've been able to read the mind of everyone I've ever met except you."

"Everyone. Except me._ In three thousand years_. That's even less believable than you never getting busy with another human before."

"Yes, everyone but you. And Charles Dickens."

I laughed. "What?"

"All writers are hard to read. Their minds are . . . a bit of a mess. But him in particular. I could see but it was like being in a room with the lights off. I knew things were there but I couldn't make them out."

"So that's why you didn't laugh at my joke?"

"It was just . . . eerie. Like you knew. I briefly considered that you were some kind of mind reader yourself!"

"Is that why you're so interested in me then?" I thought I did okay at hiding the concern in my voice that I might just be a novelty to him.

"I don't know. I liked you before I knew that, so I guess not."

I relaxed. "How do you do it?"

"I have to be touching someone."

"Does it just happen or do you need to think about it?"

"It just happens. I touch them once and hear every thought they've ever had."

"_Ever?_ Yikes."

"Yes, you wouldn't believe the things . . . but most of it's boring, you know. I really don't want to know anymore grocery lists or lyrics to atrocious pop songs. But some things are interesting, like people think about the oddest things while brushing their teeth . . ." This seemed to amuse him for some reason and I guessed it must be a mind reader inside joke.

"Well I don't believe you. I want proof. And since you 'conveniently' can't read my mind, tell me something from someone I know."

"Hmmm. Well there's Andrea . . ."

"Yeah but you could make up any old thing about her since we actually don't really know each other that well . . ."

"What about your father?"

"You did read Charlie's mind . . ."

"Yes."

"That wasn't right."

"What was I supposed to do? It's polite to shake hands in your country."

"Whatever. You were spying."

"It was purely incidental, I promise. You were a very fat baby by the way."

"Everyone was a fat baby."

"You were remarkably corpulent though. But completely adorable!" he added at the end when my skepticism shifted to glaring.

"I don't want to know anything private about him."

"I wouldn't do that. Also the point of this would be to tell you something that the both of you know but I couldn't have learned from any other source."

"Okay. I probably won't trust anything from after I moved here though."

"All right. He wanted to name you Amber."

"I don't even know if that's true. I hope not. Gross. That's worse than Isabella."

"It's not hard to be worse than lovely."

"Distracting me with sappy compliments won't work. Make with the mind secrets."

"On your sixth birthday you were given a hamster which you let go in the backyard because you thought it was mean to keep him in a cage."

I gasped. I only knew about that because Renee liked to tell it to everyone ever. No one in Forks but Charlie would know it because she never came here. I was surprised to find that I felt like crying.

"Do you only see things they remember?"

"I don't really know. The important things are clearer though. If something jumps out it meant something."

I just nodded. My throat was aching.

"You're the most important thing that has ever happened in your father's life."

I sat up. I knew I was going to cry now. He put his hand on my back.

"There are plenty of sad things to cry about. You don't need to cry about the happy ones."

"We were apart most of my life is all."

"Yes, I know." He was quiet for a moment and then said, "You would miss him," so low I thought he must be talking to himself. When I turned back to him, he was looking remorseful. "I thought . . . I _was thinking_, that you felt alone and weren't happy in your life."

"I do feel alone. And I don't know if I'm happy."

"Edward was right."

I hated to hear those words.

"No. Edward doesn't know anything about me. He can't be 'right' about my life."

He smiled at my indignation.

"Why does he hate me so much? It isn't about you either. Or about me becoming a vampire. He's hated me since he got here."

He chuckled and then sighed before answering. "You're his 'singer'."

"His what? I don't sing."

"Your blood does. It calls to him like an irresistible song written only for him, to perfectly ensnare him. In Italy we call it, 'la tua cantante'. It happens rarely where you will meet a person whose blood appeals to you so much it's nearly impossible to resist them. Drinking their blood is . . . exquisite."

"So he hates me because he really, really wants to kill me . . .?"

"It's not hate, but yes."

"So when you said he was 'confused' when he asked me out you meant . . ."

"He confused his attraction to your blood with an attraction to you. Once you were alone together though, it became immediately apparent what was happening and he very wisely got away from you as quickly as possible."

"That . . . doesn't make any sense. He's a vampire, why didn't he just kill me if I'd be so insanely tasty?"

He hesitated, chewing his lower lip. "Because he doesn't drink human blood. None of the Cullens do. They 'survive' drinking animal blood. They call themselves, 'vegetarians'."

He said this in such a way that I knew he didn't share their lifestyle and that he considered it unappealing. I felt a little sick. It was stupid. Until now I assumed he drank human blood but that was because I didn't know there was anything else he _could_ do. Now that I knew he had a choice it was different.

"But you don't do that do you?"

I couldn't keep the disappointment out of my voice.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I didn't even know you could until I met Carlisle."

"When was that?"

"A long time ago," he admitted.

"Is that why your eyes are a different color?"

"Yes."

"So if you drink animal blood, you have gold eyes and if you drink human blood you have dark eyes?"

"Not really. All of our eyes turn dark when we're thirsty but I am wearing contact lenses. My true eye color would not fit in in your world."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I can tell you," he said. "Or you can wait for a few hours until the lenses have dissolved."

I didn't know what the hell that was supposed to mean but I decided I knew enough for just now.

"I'll wait," I said and lay back down next to him. We weren't touching now. We lay on our sides, facing each other. I didn't know what else there was to say and apparently he didn't either. I was starting to feel drowsy. I didn't know why I should be tired, it was still early but all of the things that had happened in the past week had exhausted me and this was the first time I felt relaxed enough to really be sleepy.

"You can sleep, I'll be here when you wake up. If you still want me to be," he said, observing my increasingly somnolent state.

"I want you to be," I said. My voice felt heavy. I was so full of confusing, contradictory emotions that I couldn't even separate and identify all of them. Part of me wanted to tell him to take me away, make me like him, be mine forever and another part was screaming that I needed to run away fast. He was a killer. He could kill me at any time. I wasn't sure what he was going to do if I refused to join him. Somehow I couldn't talk myself into being afraid of him though. That probably confirmed my suspected insanity. I closed my eyes and then opened them again quickly. He was staring at me.

"Are you going to lay there and watch me sleep?"

"Probably, does it bother you?"

"I don't know. Are you going to sleep?"

"I can't."

"I'm sorry," I said, not sure why.

But he smiled and said "thank you" quietly and then pushed a loose bit of hair back away from my face, tucking it carefully behind my ear. He kissed my now exposed cheek and settled his face close to mine, with his eyes closed, like he _was_ going to sleep.

That's when I knew that the reason I couldn't feel afraid even though I knew he was a monster was because I _was_ in love with him.

I had been the whole time. From the day I first saw him.

I had been wrong about falling in love. It didn't have to take time. It could take only a moment. It just had to be the right one. And the right person.

I stayed awake for a long time after, watching him pretending to sleep.

My deadly, beautiful love.

My Aro.

* * *

END NOTES:

Ug. My heart hurts reading that and I _wrote_ the stupid thing.

Okay, I've noticed a trend of making Bella the "singer" of whoever the love interest is in a fic when it's not Edward. I didn't see any reason not have her remain his in this story. It gives foundation to his slightly crazed behavior when near her as well.

For non-U.S. peeps: _Lifetime_ is a TV channel that plays ridiculous, melodramatic movies about anorexia and wife beating. It's fantastic. Now you have to scroll back and try to figure out what I'm referring to because all you remember right now is him _licking her _I'm sure . . .

Oh, any lines that echo movies/books are intentional. I'm am consciously stealing because it makes me happy to refer to actual canon wherever possible.

Fav line:_ "You think I'm so **tame**, the way you tease me, my precious Isabella . . ."_

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**Warning! Okay. We've got some partial nudity in here. _Finally_, amirite? Nothing graphically described. And the usual swearing of course. That Bella, she has a fucking potty mouth.** **Not much of a warning, huh? I just have an uncontrollable urge to follow the crap out of rules no matter how arbitrary. **


	7. It's how it is

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

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AN~_Okaaaaay._ So I had to get the third chapter of my _other_ story into the validation queue at Twilighted because it has been sitting longer than this one. It's a lot more complex so the editing takes much more time and I spent the weekend on that. Then when I finally got to _this_ I decided to basically rewrite 60% of the text entirely. And I may have also worked on my Aro/Charlie story a little bit rather than completing the formatting for this last night. And I'm not sorry. It was delightful.

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**7  
**

He was still there next to me, his porcelain face glowing with an eerie beauty in the semi-darkness, when I woke up just before dawn. He had moved further away though, probably after getting hit in the face repeatedly by my energetic version of tossing and turning. I had been told I was a violent sleeper. It was kind of like a lazy form of sleep walking because I didn't get out of bed, I just flailed around erratically, breaking things and injuring people.

His eyes were still closed but I knew he wasn't sleeping, he was hiding his real eye color which must be visible by now. Since he hadn't opened them yet even though he had to know I was awake, I figured he must be waiting for me to ask. Instead I decided to take advantage of the chance to toy with him. I slid closer and he didn't move. I moved aside the blankets between us and scooted up until I was as close as I could be, pressing the length of my body to his. He remained completely still. I was interested to know how far he was going to let me go with this. I tugged the tail of his shirt out of his pants and was rewarded with a small twitch. I smiled and slid my hand under the fabric to touch his bare skin. He sighed but kept his eyes closed. I watched his face carefully as I brushed my fingertips down his stomach until I got to his belt buckle. His lips thinned and I paused, giving him a chance to react, before letting my hand drift a few more inches downward. He caught my wrist then, halting my progress, but he was smiling now. He brought my hand up and kissed my fingers.

"All done with that game, my sweet. As much as I'm sure you were enjoying yourself . . ."

"Prude."

"One of us has to play hard-to-get and it's obviously not going to be you, minx, so I will take the part of the demure one by necessity."

"And you're _definitely_ not gay . . .?"

He placed his hand on the small of my back and pulled my hips flush against his.

Oh. Yup. Not gay. And also not what I was expecting. I had no idea what went on down there with boys in general so I didn't know if what I was feeling was usual but it made _me_ feel a whole lot more demure suddenly and I immediately changed the direction of our conversation.

"Okay. Well, I guess you can open your eyes now."

He didn't.

"It's all right. I'm ready." I thought I sounded confident enough.

"Your heartbeat tells a different story."

"You can hear my heart beating?"

"Yes. It's beautiful." He placed his hand over my heart and I tried to pretend like he wasn't also touching the top of my breast. This was a significant moment for him when he was going to show me something real about himself and I wasn't going to spoil it by inappropriately eroticizing what was a very innocent gesture even though it sped my heart up a few more beats.

"I didn't say I wasn't nervous, I just said I was ready. How bad could it be?"

He opened his eyes and I couldn't stop myself from jumping a little. They were a dark, rich red. He noted my involuntary reaction without surprise and closed them again, turning his head away. I touched his face, coaxing him to open his eyes and look at me again. Then I just examined him for a minute, taking in his familiar skin and hair and mouth and now his startling eyes. Given the gloomy atmosphere of the room they should have been terrifying but I still couldn't be afraid of him. He still just looked—

"Perfect."

"They don't upset you?" He asked. There was a complicated mixture of relief and suspicion in his voice. "I wouldn't be offended. It's understandable that they would be a little bit scary for someone like you."

"Well, if you'd asked me my favorite eye color last week I probably wouldn't have said, 'blood red' but they look . . . right on you. They're just _you_ and I like you. So, I guess I like them, too."

He took my face in his hands and kissed me rather aggressively, rolling me onto my back. Which also gave me another little preview of his business district. He must have been holding his weight off me more than I knew yesterday. I thought about telling him what was going on down _there_ was far scarier than his eye color but I honestly did not want to discuss it.

He shifted his weight to the side but leaned over so he could look down at me. He traced his fingers over my features lightly, like he wanted to memorize what I looked like tactilely as well as visually.

"You have utterly destroyed me, little human."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm not the same person I was before I met you."

"Is that good?"

"I haven't any idea because as soon as I get near you, my brain ceases all rational function and I have the sudden desire to do completely mad things like beg you to just run off with me somewhere for a hundred years."

"That's a long time," I said. My heart felt suddenly like it was too big for my chest and was compressing my lungs and pressing against my ribcage in a way that was both pleasant and a little painful. I didn't know if a hundred years was a long time for an immortal so I didn't know if it was something you'd say to the object of a mere infatuation or only to someone you were in love with. It seemed like a dangerous thing to assume he was in love with me though so I choked back the insane urge to confess how I was feeling. I didn't know when you were supposed to tell someone you were in love with them because I'd never done it but I was pretty sure now was too soon.

"I said it was mad. But I'm fairly certain I cannot leave Forks without you now so I'll just have to wait until you feel the same way I suppose . . ."

I don't know how I was able to speak because I was sure I wasn't breathing. "Where would we go?"

"Anywhere."

"That sounds nice," I responded looking, I'm sure, happily lobotomized.

I hadn't been prepared for how I was feeling. I was pretty sure that I would do anything for him right now and if he actually _did_ ask me to run away, I would. It was mildly frightening, like I wasn't in control of myself and I was being manipulated by some intensely powerful unseen force that had inhabited my body and was making me into this dewy-eyed moron that did nothing but think about _him_ all day long but it was so pleasant I didn't even attempt to resist its influence. It felt too sublime to be real though, maybe—

"Do you have mind-control powers?" I blurted.

"No. Just the mind-reading. Not exciting enough for you?"

"You can also move really fast and hear really far."

"Yes, but all vampires can do those things."

"Wait, you guys have different powers?"

"Of course. Not every vampire has a special ability though. The Cullens are a rare coven in that they have several gifted members among them."

"_Really._ What can they do?"

"Well, Alice can see the future . . ."

"_Oh_. Huh. She said she knew when I would become a vampire when she saw us together . . ."

"That's interesting," he said sedately but he was smiling widely. He took one my hands and held it between us, close under our faces.

"So do I not have a choice then?"

"She said it would be your choice."

"Yeah, but now that I know that I feel like I'm stuck . . ."

"Alice's visions change. Nothing is absolute."

"Okay. I mean, I'm not saying that will _never_ happen, I just don't know right now."

"Perfectly reasonable. It's an enormous and irreversible decision. I wouldn't have you make it lightly."

"Yeah? Then you should stop smelling so fucking good because that has a seriously detrimental effect on my ability to make sane decisions. What's with that anyway? Do all vampires smell like that?" I didn't remember Edward smelling particularly appealing on our one date and I'd just assumed Alice smelled good because she was a girl.

He laughed quietly. "What you're smelling is my venom. It's supposed to be attractive to humans, for obvious reasons. We don't all smell exactly alike though. You just like me because, well, you _like me_."

"Um, _venom?_"

"Well, that's just one word for it. It's what makes us what we are. It changes human tissue into vampire tissue and provides all the fluid in our bodies after we're transformed. It's why my contacts dissolved. It's very potent."

"I see. Then why doesn't kissing you turn me into a vampire?"

"It needs to be introduced directly into your bloodstream . . . through a bite. Or more ideally, several bites." He brought the hand he was holding up to his mouth and placed a kiss on the soft inside of my wrist in a way that told me vampires didn't only bite people on the neck.

"Hmmm. So, are your fangs like hidden or something?" I actually tried to stick my finger in his mouth and he slapped my hand away with a bemused expression.

"No. I don't have them. That's actually a very narrow myth that only applies to a small number of vampire legends. Besides, I don't need them, my teeth are quite sharp enough for the purpose so I'll request that you keep your pretty little fingers away from them. I'm not sure why you would try to do such a thing to anyone, vampire or no. That's very intrusive."

"Sorry." I wasn't. "So what do the other Cullens do? Does Dr. Cullen have magical healing powers?"

"No, he's just uncommonly kind. Jasper, though, has the ability to influence the way people are feeling. Manipulate their emotions. I thought it might not work on you since I cannot read hear your thoughts but it does. It's very curious."

I saw a flash of that greedy look he'd had at the Cullen's again.

I remembered feeling suddenly very calm for a few moments while I stood with all of them watching me in the Cullen's living room. It was _Jasper_ who could control people. He'd always seemed sweet and now I wondered if it was only because he _made_ everyone see him that way. I didn't think that was true but it was a disturbing idea and made me realize that what he did could be a very dangerous thing if it were possessed by a dishonest or cruel person. Vampire super powers took on a more sinister edge suddenly.

"What about Rosalie and Emmett?" I asked, hoping that if they had any powers they were extremely innocuous. Like being able to make dirt change color.

"Just regular vampires."

I was relieved but I smirked too. Jessica would _love_ to know that Rosalie wasn't a "special" vampire.

"That amuses you?"

"No. I mean, my friend Jessica hates Rosalie because she's so pretty. She would love to know she was just a boring old vampire and not a really fancy one like you guys."

"Jessica is the one who thinks I'm your boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"Is she right?"

My heartbeat picked up again and now that I knew he could hear it it annoyed me. He smiled.

"You should introduce me to your friend Jessica."

"Okay. Maybe. Why?"

"I like to meet new people," he said smoothly. And then I knew what he was doing.

"Nuh-uh. You just want to hear her thoughts so you can find out what I said about you! You can't just go around stealing people's memories for your own benefit."

"It's not _stealing_, I can't control it."

"Yeah, you could _avoid_ it though."

"Like _you_ are avoiding my question?"

"About you being my boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"Why does it matter what I call you?"

"Because I like the idea of being called yours."

_Mine_. I wanted that but there were too many reasons why it would be extremely complicated to start telling people Aro was my boyfriend and they were all so obvious I didn't know why he was pushing it. So I used the only really non-arguable one.

"Charlie wouldn't like it."

"I could make him like it."

"I thought you couldn't control people."

"Well, not _that_ way but once you've seen someone's mind, you know them as well as they know themselves. Better even because you can be objective."

I didn't like that. I didn't want him manipulating Charlie that way. It wasn't fair.

"I don't want you doing that. It's not right using his private thoughts against him. If I had known you could do that I would have forbidden you from doing it to him in the first place."

"I'm sorry. I can't un-know it all though so I don't see why I shouldn't use—"

"Because I said I didn't want you to, that's why. God, I'm glad you can't read my mind or I'd never be able to trust you."

"It makes me sad that you feel like I would try to influence you unduly with that knowledge."

"Why not? You're fine about doing it to my father."

"That's not the same. I should tell you that I am . . . relieved I can't hear your thoughts. I'll admit it was disturbing to me at first but now I'm grateful because I get to learn about you. There are surprises. Finding out new things about you is exciting. Maybe I'll _never_ know everything. So there will always be some mystery in you. It makes me feel . . . safe. I'm sure that doesn't make sense but the silence is comforting. People treat you awkwardly when they know you've seen them doing very private things and you will never have to feel that way because I won't ever know any of it unless you choose to tell me. Your mind is safe from me and mine is safe from knowing yours. It's perfection."

I knew there were a few things I had done that would make me not even be able to look at him if he knew about them. I felt kind of annoyed that he'd intended to try to read my mind without my knowledge in the beginning. But then, cutting yourself off from all contact with other people sounded very depressing. He _had_ hesitated about touching me more than once. He hadn't jumped right in to try to know everything at the first opportunity. It was only when he was touching me for a reason other than trying to hear my thoughts that he'd discovered he couldn't. He'd just wanted to touch me. It was kind of heartbreaking. I didn't understand how you could be close to anyone if you could do that.

"So, does that mean everyone treats you that way?"

"I suppose so, yes."

"That sounds awful."

"It's how it is," he said without a trace of self-pity but it made_ me_ want to cry and hug him for an hour.

"How much do you want _me_ to tell you then?"

"Anything you want. I love that you _can_ tell me things."

"Do you want to know what I'm thinking now?"

"I do."

"I think you're the most amazing person I've ever known."

He smiled oddly.

"So why am I being kept a secret?"

"Because I don't want people judging you."

"You aren't concerned about them judging you?"

"No. They'll just assume I'm young and stupid and you 'seduced' me but they'll think you're a creep and a pervert."

"And why should I care what a lot of people I don't know think of me?"

"I care. They already say mean things about you and it makes me really angry."

That was true. During my last shift, Andrea's insults of him, never _to_ me, but where I couldn't _not_ overhear them had enraged me so much that I'd childishly emptied about fifteen sugar packets into her coat pocket when she was busy taking an order. It was dumb but I felt a lot better afterwards especially when I saw her outside as I was leaving, swearing while trying to light a cigarette with a Bic covered in sticky clumps of Sweet-n-Low. I wished I could show him _that_ memory because telling about it would never be as funny.

"That's lovely of you to be offended on my behalf but as you said, they're saying it anyway so . . ."

"But Charlie isn't. And even though he wouldn't gossip like everyone else, it would upset him."

"But if I could convince him, fairly, with no mind-reading short-cuts to like me enough that he would accept us being together, would you then allow our relationship to be public?"

Well that was never going to frigging happen. "Sure. Fine. If you can make him like you _fairly_, I'll tell everyone in town you're my scary European lover and let them say whatever stupid things they want. Why does it matter so much though?"

"Because it would upset people if you just disappeared."

Oh. "Do you mean—"

"Yes. You will have to leave Forks when you change. _If_ you change," he amended.

"But what does that have to do with people knowing about us?"

"You'll say you're going to Italy with me to visit."

"And then I just won't come back?"

"Something like that."

"Charlie wouldn't accept that. How would me disappearing in Italy be any easier than me disappearing here?"

"If he thinks you're living there he will question it less and you can keep in contact as long as you like."

"Living there."

"Yes."

"With you."

"That's the idea."

"Yeah, he won't like that either. He's not the 'shacking up' type and he _really_ wouldn't be amused with his daughter doing it."

"You'd be married."

"If you're proposing, it's a really weird way of doing it."

"How would you prefer I do it?"

"When you've known me longer than a week."

"Modern girls," he said tiredly.

"What? Did teenage girls readily accept insanely fast proposals from strange men whenever you lived?"

"When I lived and for most of human history. Then five minutes ago someone invented TV and airplanes and suddenly I'm a pervert for no sane reason at all. In almost any other century in recorded time, you would already have four kids with a husband your parents picked for you, very likely an extremely unattractive cousin, and would statistically die during childbirth before you were twenty-seven. I, however, would be an _unthought of_ catch. A single, wealthy older man who isn't gay and doesn't have syphilis contracted from a prostitute! It's ridiculous. You should be proposing to me."

I raised an eyebrow. The cute, venerable Aro had disappeared and left this arrogant, ranting lunatic behind. I didn't know if I liked this version but his indigence was kind of amusing.

"Anyway," he said, his speech smoothing out suddenly into a seductive-sounding series of richly enunciated, nearly whispered, syllables, "in any century, including this one, what you're doing now, having a strange man in your bed with you, doing this," he slipped his hand under my thigh and pulled my leg up around his, aligning our hips suggestively, "and letting him kiss you like this," he pressed his lips to my throat just under my jaw before traveling down fluidly to my chest, ending just above my heart and leaving a cool patch of moisture there on my skin, "that would be cause for a public shaming, my dear."

"Uh huh," I said, my head was completely empty of higher thought now and I was feeling distinctly wilted. "I guess there are worse people to marry . . ." I said sleepily.

"See? I cannot read _your_ mind and yet it's incredibly easy to get you to do what I want. You have so little faith in my ability to convince your father that I'd be the perfect son-in-law."

"Well, I can tell you right now that doing to him what you just did to me won't work."

"I intend to do a lot of things to you that Charlie will never know about," he said in a low voice.

"Can I see some of those things?"

"Oh no, they're much too loud for a residential area."

"Can we practice some of the ones I already know then?"

"Do you think I need practice?"

"Yes. You're terrible, we should start right away."

"Well, I can't have you marrying a poor kisser I suppose . . ."

But his lips had barely touched mine when he stopped and sat up so fast I didn't even see him move. In a blur he was at the window, looking down into the yard. I actually heard a small growl come from him. I managed to get to the window in time to see Jacob standing below looking up before Aro had yanked it open and leaped from the sill, landing lithely in the yard below.

Not being a supernatural being who could jump, unharmed, from second story windows, I had to take the stairs, hoping Jacob would still be in one piece and full of, apparently delicious, human blood when I got there.

I burst through the screen door onto the back porch. It smacked the side of the house and rebounded, hitting me in the side. I grabbed my arm and swore, more annoyed than hurt and ran down the steps onto the grass.

I heard myself yell, "Don't hurt him!" I wasn't even sure who I was talking to, I thought Aro but Jacob looked different somehow, bigger and more heavily muscled, and completely unafraid of Aro even though I knew he could see Aro's red eyes clearly as it was mostly light out now.

They were halfway across the yard, about where we had collided with each other yesterday during the storm. The grass was still damp and I slipped of course falling back and hitting my head head hard on the ground. Aro was to me in a second. He helped me up carefully and then turned back to Jacob.

"You're on the wrong side of the treaty line, wolf," Aro said coolly.

"That's not how it works," Jacob said, his voice much more openly hostile. "And I've never had any problems with anyone who lived here before you arrived. In fact, I wasn't even _like_ this until you got here. You're outside of the treaty, _you're not a Cullen_ and now a bunch of the boys are turning because of you. _You're_ the one who needs to leave."

"I intend to, just as soon as I conclude my business here in this precious little town."

Jacob looked at me, then at the way Aro was holding onto me and started to come forward.

"Stop," Aro said in that same commanding tone he'd used with the Cullens. I was was surprised when Jacob obeyed this order. "You did an honorable thing by discontinuing contact when you knew you were a danger to her, don't undo that noble deed now on my account."

I was starting to feel dizzy. I reached back to where I had hit my head and felt a damp spot in my hair. There was a smear of crimson on my fingertips when I brought them back down. I must have hit a rock or something when I fell. Aro hissed through his teeth at the sight of my blood, shining bright red and wetly fresh on my skin.

"Oh, yeah, it's obviously _me_ who is a danger to her. At least anything I did would be an accident," Jacob said. I knew he was trying to sound disdainful but his voice was full of fear. He thought Aro was going to attack me.

But Aro calmly took my hand and wiped the blood from my fingers with the edge of his shirt which I had pulled out earlier. He looked coldly back at Jacob. "I am no danger to her. _I_ have control."

I had to assume this meant that whatever was wrong with Jacob, Jacob did not have control of it. That was why he'd broken up with me. He looked at me, pleading.

"Bella, please. You don't know him. He—why was he in your room?"

I was sure he did not mean to say something so revealing and I felt embarrassed that I had caused this situation for him. We had broken up less than a week ago and it was only to somehow protect me, not because he didn't care about me anymore. He was pretty obviously still in love with me and seeing Aro, someone he apparently had some unknown feud with, jump out of my bedroom window in disarranged clothing at six o' clock in the morning must have been unbearable. I knew it would have been for me if I'd found Aro in a similar situation with someone else.

I was grateful that Aro had the grace not to look smug. His expression was neutral. He was going to let me handle Jacob. Still, he didn't let go of my arm. He didn't want me near him. I didn't know why but there was definitely something off about him so I'd allow it until I had a better idea of what the hell was going on.

"Jake," I said, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn't destroy him. "Nothing bad is happening to me. I'm not in any danger."

"You have _no idea_ what kind of danger you're in, Bella!" he said, his voice growing hysterical.

"I know what he is, Jacob." Obviously. He'd just jumped out a window fifteen feet up and he has bright red eyes!

Even though it _was_ obvious, these words made him step back like I'd physically pushed him. I didn't understand why after what he'd seen already that me saying I knew he was a vampire would change things. But Aro and him were staring at each other fiercely, a silent communication occurring between them. Then Jacob looked to me again and the way I was holding onto Aro. Not just for support, but for comfort, with affection. I had joined our hands without thinking about it and he was staring at them with a miserable expression that made me feel sick with guilt but I didn't let go.

"Guess she's just not a dog person," Aro said flatly.

Then I watched, horrified, as every muscle in Jacob's body suddenly tensed and twisted, bulging grotesquely. Aro dragged me backwards a little more roughly than I think he usually would have but I saw in his face that he was startled as well. But not as surprised as me because once we'd stopped he was looking at Jacob almost bored and I was still gaping, my breath gone because _Jacob_ was gone and a large brown wolf stood in the yard where he had been. It was massive. Taller than both me and Aro and probably as long as my truck. I clung to Aro who put his arms around me protectively.

Aro had called him "wolf." He'd met it literally. And they'd both mentioned a treaty, just like Rosalie had. It was between _them_ and whatever Jacob was. My Jacob. He wasn't human either.

The wolf stared at us for a moment, at our familiar embrace, and then it howled. The sound made my skin go so cold I was sure that Aro and I would feel about the same if someone touched me just then. Then it turned and galloped away into the trees. I stepped forward out of Aro's arms and stared at the place it had vanished. When I looked at Aro again his face was sympathetic, despite his petty final comment to Jacob, he felt bad for me.

And he'd known about this already. It was the subject of his strange rant the night he'd seen Jacob outside my house.

I could feel my vision going dark and I was going to blame it on the head injury so I could not think I was just a girl who faints all the damned time now. I felt Aro catch me before I hit the ground a second time.

* * *

He'd taken me to Dr. Cullen immediately after I passed out. I came away with several stitches and a series of complicated sleeping and waking instructions which sounded serious and which I hoped Aro remembered because I did not. Not that I could wake myself up and demand the answers to making-sure-you-don't-have-brain-damage questions anyway.

"So it sounds like you're going to have to stay really close by and wake me up a bunch of times to keep me from slipping into a coma . . ."

We were sitting in his car in front of my house. Yesterday's storm had gone but it was sprinkling very lightly and I was stalling, trying to convince him to stay with me without seeming clingy.

"You father is supposed to return today, isn't he?"

Damn. "Maybe, but he's not back yet, who's going to take care of me until I go to work?"

"You're not going to _work_, you preposterous girl. You're dangerous enough without adding heavy trays of food and a building full of sharp objects to the equation and that's without the delightful variable of a fresh concussion."

"Okay. Well, I think I'll take a nap then since I woke up so early." I yawned dramatically.

He sighed. "You're being very unfair."

"Why? Do you have something better to do?"

He avoided looking at me. "I have to eat too, Isabella."

Oh. I wanted to ask a lot of things suddenly but was too afraid of the answers.

So I asked the only one I was sure I wanted a yes to.

"What about after that?"

He looked surprised. "You'd still want to see me today?"

"I want to see you every day," I admitted pathetically.

He took a short breath that looked like it was painful and then nodded.

"So you'll come back?"

"I will. It could be a few hours though. I have to run to the edge of the treaty line first which stretches out unreasonably far in my opinion."

"So, can I come to your house? I could wait there. I mean, Jacob could come back while you're gone . . ."

I was blatantly and shamelessly manipulating him now. Even after what had happened this morning, I wasn't any more afraid of Jacob than I had ever been. I was actually relieved that I knew the truth. Sort of. I still didn't know how or why he could just turn into a gigantic wolf but I fully intended to find out later.

"Fine. Go get whatever things I'm sure you think you need."

I leaned over and kissed him. He touched my cheek and put his forehead against mine for a moment.

"I wish you weren't so determined to kill yourself before I have the chance to make you immortal," he said heavily. "I feel anxious constantly . . ."

"Yeah, I like you, too."

_I love you._

I got out and dashed for the house. I didn't slip once but I could practically hear him sigh from the car watching me run barefoot across the wet lawn to the porch. I changed from my pajamas into regular clothing and collected my things in a blur, settling for stuffing them in the princess backpack when I couldn't find my old school one. I was almost at the door again when I saw the little red light on the answering machine. I pushed the button. It was Charlie. He was staying over another night. I smiled in a way I knew would make Aro go back on his decision to let me come over and I practiced not smiling that way for when I told him. I called Danielle to see if she could cover another night and then went outside, still smiling despite my practice.

I waited until we were almost to the Cullen's before I said, "So, I got a message from Charlie, he's staying over in Seattle another night." I tried to sound casual about it but I could tell by the look he gave me that he wasn't fooled. He was going to make me go back home. I didn't know how good I was at sad faces but I attempted one anyway and I must have done okay because he made a frustrated noise after glancing at me several times and then said, "_All right_, you may cease your charming though rather clumsy coercion now, I'm far too easily conquered by you. You can stay. As if I could make you leave anyway . . ."

I clapped my hands stupidly. "Wait, do you even have a bed?"

"There's a bed. _For you_."

"Does that mean you're not going to share it with me?"

"It means you'll have a place to sleep."

"You can do things other than sleep in a bed . . ."

Apparently having my brain slammed against the side of my skull had eradicated my former hesitation about unsettlingly proportioned body parts . . .

"Isabella, I am not going to relieve you of your virginity on this evening or any other in the foreseeable future," he said patiently.

Well, that was nice and embarrassing.

"How did you know?"

"You're very pushy in a way that clearly tells me you have no idea what you're asking for. But still, if I were a human male, last night would have gone very differently."

"Okay. So . . . you _do_ want to have sex with me?"

"I said I wasn't a _human_ male, not that I wasn't a male."

"So, eventually you plan to . . ."

"Is this relevant right now?"

"Is it relevant for me to know if my boyfriend intends to sleep with me at some point? I think so."

"Ah, _now_ it's boyfriend. I shall remember to withhold things in the future when I need to get you to concede something."

"You know, all I've been told my entire life is that I will have to be fighting off horny boys _constantly_ so this is pretty disappointing."

We had arrived now and parked in the driveway. It was raining much harder and the inside of the car was a warm little cocoon I wasn't ready to leave yet. But he took my hand and sat there with me quietly for a few minutes.

"It's not a question of desire," he said finally. "If it makes you feel better to know, I would very much like to take you directly to my house and do a number of . . . elaborate things with you which I won't detail right now. But I do not want to risk causing you injury so I need you to stop asking me to do something so perilous because it's extremely difficult to say 'no' to you and I don't know how much resolve I have based on the very appealing nature of the request. Please don't ask me to hurt you, the thought of it terrifies me."

He was afraid to have sex with me? No, afraid of hurting me _during_ it. I knew I couldn't argue effectively because he was right, I _did_ have no idea what I was asking for. I closed my eyes and listened to the rain hitting the roof and windows. It was soothing.

"Are you going to wait until I'm a vampire?"

"That . . . would be best I think," he said reluctantly.

"But wouldn't that like be more painful? I mean, your skin feels like _stone_," I poked him for emphasis. "Can you even _get_ injured? It seems like it might be harder after since I'm, you know . . . not experienced."

He looked a little sickened. Obviously I had suggested something he had not considered.

"But we would be equally invulnerable so I don't think—I mean, it shouldn't be any different except . . . that you'll heal . . . faster."

He was staring at our linked hands. He flipped mine to examine the still fresh scrape there from yesterday. Then he said, "This is not something we need to discuss right now," and abruptly stopped touching me.

He sounded sincerely upset so I decided to let it go. He could think about it. Maybe he would change his mind later. Then I started to feel nervous. When it seemed like there wasn't a possibility, it was just exciting. But now I realized I didn't even know what to expect from sex with a human boy, who knows what sex with a super fast, super strong vampire would be like.

He got out of the car and before I could even undo my seatbelt he was standing at my door, holding an incongruous yellow umbrella. I pushed the door open and stepped out of the car, dragging my horrible borrowed backpack along with me. He led me swiftly into the trees. There wasn't really a trail and I realized I would never find my way back without him. He was keeping his distance from me, one hand wrapped firmly around my upper arm like he was a cop taking me to jail. His face was fixed and unhappy.

A minute later a tiny, beautiful cottage came into view. It was idyllic really, with vines climbing over its walls and surrounded by trees too tall to see the tops of making the light in the clearing dim and chilly.

He stopped at the door, dropping his hand from my arm and standing stiffly a foot away from me.

"Go inside. Do you know how to build a fire?"

I nodded.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours. There are plenty of books and I think a television in there if you become bored."

I couldn't help smiling. "You_ think_ there's a television?"

"There _is_ a television, I just don't watch it so I don't know if it works," he said uncomfortably.

"That's adorable."

"Why is that adorable?" I could tell he was fighting to remain grumpy now.

"Because you said it like the TV scares you. It's cute for someone to be scared of a television."

"I'm not _scared_ of the television, I'm just not fond of technology. It's dangerous."

"Well, I can assure you, the TV won't hurt you." I patted him soothingly the way you would an elderly person who thinks the mailman is stealing their letters. "I'll protect you."

"That's not very comforting from someone who can't even handle a coffee pot without inflicting second degree burns." He touched my wrist where the evidence of last week's injury was still healing and then stepped close and hugged me.

"I like you. That's what scares me. I hope you'll let me protect you from real dangers."

"Like you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know about you now, so if I don't agree to be a vampire, what happens then?"

He opened his mouth and then just shook his head. "We can talk about it later?"

"Sure." I wasn't certain he would let me touch him so I was surprised when he pulled me tighter into his arms and kissed me with a lot more passion than someone who wasn't trying to have sex with me should, I thought. I was actually slightly breathless when he stopped and I stumbled a bit when he let go of me.

"See?" he said affectionately, steadying me, "totally useless." Then he kissed my forehead and disappeared into the trees in a dark streak.

I stood on the front step for a long time, smelling the rain and the trees and the damp earth, with a wonderful ache in my chest that I knew wouldn't lessen until he returned.

I felt fantastic somehow even with my head hurting and that confusing mess with Jacob. I knew now why I had always been out of place. I was wrong as a human because I wasn't meant to be one. I was meant to be a vampire. It felt right like nothing in my life ever had. I would change. Now it was just a matter of how long I felt like torturing him with thinking I was undecided.

I laughed a little maniacally and the sound was eerie in the silent clearing.

Man, I was going to be a scary fucking vampire . . .

* * *

**END NOTES:**

Okay, kids, time to have _The Talk._ *sits all of you down awkwardly on the couch in the living room*

There's been a lot of discussion since Breaking Dawn was published about vampire erections. (Now you know why I made you sit.) It was posited that Edward and Bella could not have had sex because Edward has no blood and, well, you need it. A very amusing and well-written article I read a few months ago argued that he wouldn't _need_ blood because he wouldn't _need_ an erection because the skin on his body is equally, um, hard everywhere already.

Stephenie has not addressed this issue obviously so I've filled in that grey area myself. In all of my stories but one, their venom operates the same way blood does for this particular purpose.

Now, for the ladies! I thought this out while I was writing it and came to a rather obvious conclusion . . . unfortunately it also happens to be the same one the person who writes True Blood came to: If a girl is changed into a vampire while she's a virgin, her hymen will grow back each time after she has sex. So I couldn't use that directly, but Aro hints at it here as he does not know if it would simply heal the way she would now or if it would return to its original "virgin" state.

Lastly, Bella has blushingly hinted around about the shocking size of Aro's junk. I know it's common to make the male protagonist in stories like this have a giant **** but that is not the case here. He's average, Bella's just a virgin. Which I find hilarious.

* * *

**Favorite line is Bella's:** _"You know, all I've been told my entire life is that I will have to be fighting off horny boys _constantly_ so this is pretty disappointing."_

* * *

**Sliver Drip**, gracias for finding all of my horrifying errors, after much thought I have decided to simply fix them rather than setting myself on fire out of shame which I _seriously considered _for a few minutes. Those completely out-of-place pronouns generally occur during final edits when I'm like, "Oh, this would be _so much better!_" and I change part of a sentence and forget to make the rest agree and suddenly everyone sounds like those slack-jawed yokels from The Simpsons. Your reviews were lovely, even the ones that made me want to commit ritual suicide, thank you for taking the time to write them.


	8. Grumpy Sunlight

******Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

* * *

**8**

"Isabella . . . Isabella . . . _Isabella!_"

Someone was shaking me, I swatted at them but they didn't stop until I opened my eyes and then I saw Aro leaning over me looking completely panicked.

"What?" I said grumpily. I hated being woken up.

"_'What?'_ I've been trying to wake you for nearly five minutes. I was about to go get Carlisle. Which I preferred not to do since you are in your underwear for some reason."

I wasn't really. I was wearing a long t-shirt, I just wasn't wearing any pants.

"Yeah, well I was tired and I didn't want to take a nap in jeans."

"You weren't supposed to go to sleep without me here," he scolded. "And weren't you planning to stay the night? Why didn't you bring pajamas?"

"Oh. Um, I did. I just forgot I had them." It was true but I could tell he didn't believe me. "Sorry you had to see that," I said, tugging the blankets back over my legs, "it must have been terrible for you."

"Horrifying. Well I'm supposed to ask you a lot of questions to ascertain whether or not you have normal brain function but it's fairly obvious from your snark that you know exactly who I am as well as who you are."

"Yes. I am a famous ballet dancer and you are the criminally insane but extremely thoughtful stalker who has been mailing me severed pinky toes for the last year."

He didn't laugh. Now that the panic I'd first seen had drained away I saw that he did look a little horrified.

"You scared me. I thought you were . . . not going to wake up."

"_Oh._ I'm sorry. I was just really tired. The last week has been kind of exhausting."

"I know. I didn't mean for it to be. I wanted you to find out much more slowly."

"I'm glad it happened like this. It would have been worse to think I knew you only to find out I didn't. This is good. It's honest."

He kissed me. His mouth tasted different and I knew it was because he'd just eaten but I pushed it away. I felt I could pretend it wasn't happening as long as I never saw it. The same way I could eat a hamburger and feel fine about it as long as I never saw a slaughterhouse. It was a stretch to depersonalize people on the same level as cattle probably but since I hadn't yet decided what my own diet would be as a vampire, I couldn't really take a hard stance on not people eating just yet.

He pressed his face into my hair and breathed slowly in then exhaled with a sigh that had a trace of a moan contained in it.

"So you're smelling me now?"

"Yes. You smell . . . extraordinary. You have_ strange_ blood. I wasn't sure if I should tell you."

"Why wouldn't you tell me that?"

"Because I am not the only one who thinks so."

"Yeah. Edward. You already told me about that."

"Not just Edward. Even though it isn't as strong for the rest of us, your blood seems to be unusually appealing to all vampires. At least all the ones you've come into contact with so far. Charlie, too, actually although it's less strong."

"So me and Charlie are super tasty. Interesting."

"Yes, I usually refrain from breathing too deeply around you because of it. But as I've just eaten, I have a lot more control so . . . "

He kissed me again, pressing me back onto the bed. My opinion of people eating went up a few notches as the very pleasant consequences of the control he mentioned revealed themselves and it was actually me who eventually said we should take a break after several long minutes of kissing and him sliding his hands freely over my exposed skin, of which there was quite a lot as my shirt had ridden up a little above my hips making the soft lower half of my stomach available to his cool touch. I was actually wondering if maybe he had reconsidered the sex ban and we were headed there which made me realize I was absolutely not prepared for that and I sort of clumsily stopped him and pulled away looking, I'm sure, very glassy eyed. He laid down next to me with an amused smile and pulled the blankets up over my bare legs again.

"All talk, I see," he said tauntingly.

"No. I just, you know, have a gaping wound on the back of my head and I haven't showered today and . . . stuff." I forced myself to stop talking before I actually boarded the train to Awkwardville since I was already standing on the platform.

"I"m teasing you, Isabella. My intentions toward you in that regard remain, at this time, unchanged."

At this time. So he was thinking about it now. Fear and anticipation raced up my spine together making me shiver. He watched my reaction placidly without teasing or commenting further but it made me blush anyway. I reached out then and did something I had been wanting to do forever: touch his hair. Well, I had touched it but I hadn't really _touched_ it.

It was soft and smooth and made me aware that in comparison, mine felt like yarn. I needed to somehow keep him from ever touching my hair again.

"Dr. Cullen doesn't actually braid your hair does he?" I asked, twisting two pieces around each other and turning them to examine their impossibly beautiful color and texture.

"No. And neither can you," he said, tugging the twined strands out of my fingers and undoing them.

"What? Why not?"

"Because I'm not a _viking_."

I hadn't really wanted to until he said I _couldn't_ and then I was immediately seized by a violent desire to play with his hair like he was a giant Barbie doll.

"Aw. Come on. I'll totally show you my boobs!"

"I've seen them."

"No you haven't. I watched you closely and you didn't look once."

"My eyes are every bit as fast as the rest of me," he said with a wicked smile.

"You perv."

"That's a ridiculous accusation considering you were in the process of taking your bra off with the intention of showing me only a minute before that."

"Yeah, but you just said you looked really fast so I wouldn't see. You wanted to trick me into thinking you didn't look so I'd think you were really nice."

"I am really nice."

"You know what I mean."

"You mean so that you would think I was a gentleman? Well then I should to tell you that I _am_ a gentleman and the only difference between a gentleman and a rogue is that a gentleman will ogle you discretely and then keep it to himself. Most men fall somewhere in between, but believe me, we're all looking. Even homosexual men look at breasts."

"That's disgusting."

"_Is it?_ Because you know, I'm just as fast at _catching_ people looking as I am at looking myself."

"Whatever. It's not even the same."

"Really? Because if you were a man you'd be a construction worker. You swear like one already."

"What, when do I ever swear?" _' . . . in front of you.'_

"Isabella, I know your classmates, your boss, your coworkers and your father. I can only assume you've been naively trying to trick me into thinking you're refined by keeping your potty mouth mostly in check around me and as much as it would be adorable to watch you try to walk around with a book on your head, I wasn't expecting charm school manners from a girl who chews her hair when she thinks no one is looking."

"Yeah well, you have . . . stupid . . . ug, nothing. You're fucking perfect. I hate you."

"There's my delicate flower."

"Whatever," I said, petulantly, my face a study of the rightful loser in an unmatched race.

He sighed and pulled a large portion of his hair over his shoulder so it was within my reach again and said, "No braiding."

But I knew he'd let me eventually so I just nodded placatingly before slipping my fingers among the soft, dark strands again.

"So what's the plan now anyway? Just make Charlie love you and then take me away to Italy?"

"I was thinking it would be more important to make you love me somewhere in there."

"Yeah, that's probably an okay idea."

"How hard do you think that's going to be?"

"Probably not very hard."_ 'Being that I'm already in love with you to what I'm sure is an unhealthy degree.'_

"Any advice on how I could speed that up a bit?"

"Well, you could stop being so perfect so I don't feel gross all the time since apparently I'm a lecherous, profanity-spewing hair-eater."

"What would you like me to do to be less perfect?"

"Nothing. I changed my mind. I like it."

"All right, then you need to accept that you are not 'gross' and there are different kinds of perfect."

I was glad he didn't directly say that he thought I was perfect because it would have made me profoundly uncomfortable and this way I could just believe he was being poetic and not actually referring to me.

"You can go back to sleep now that I'm here, if you'd like."

"Well I'm not sleepy now," I said, slipping my hand under his shirt.

"Hmmm, we've done enough of that for one evening," he said, pulling my hand back out again. "It's well you stopped us when you did before. I wasn't feeling anywhere near an adequate level of restraint just then. The temptation to not so delicately destroy the delightfully insubstantial fabric of the 'clothes' you're wearing was becoming increasingly difficult to resist."

For a few moments I was assaulted by a very vivid series of images illustrating this activity and decided that swiftly changing the subject was a marvelous idea.

"Um, so, tell me what will happen when I become a vampire."

"Have you decided then?"

"I don't know. You haven't told me what happens if I don't."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"We generally don't allow people to . . . know about us," he said evasively.

"Meaning?"

"We don't allow them to live."

"So what Edward said then, 'change or die'?"

"There's a reason I did not want you to know this quickly."

"So are you going to kill me, Aro?"

"Please don't say that."

"Please be honest with me."

"Maintaining secrecy is . . . what I do."

"So your job is to kill people? Well, now I know what Alice was talking about . . ."

"What was that?"

"She said some people," _a lot of people_, "don't like you because of your job."

"I see."

"But she said that she likes you," I added with what I hoped was an encouraging note.

"Well, if there is a person in this world for you to be lucky to have like you, it is Alice."

"Yeah. She's really nice."

"She's more than nice. She's judicious. She sees people's futures but she doesn't always tell them which allows them to make their own choices even if it's something bad which could potentially be avoided. It's very admirable and takes an almost unfathomable amount of self-possession. No one in her family has any idea of the number of visions she's had as she has shared very few of them. She respects her gift and doesn't see the futures of others' as hers to tamper with."

"But, she told me about becoming a vampire. That's a pretty big deal . . ."

"Yes. Well, you said she told you she knew _when_ it would occur when she saw us together. At that point, you knowing at least seemed inevitable. But she's known for more than a year and she's been excited for you but she did not run up to you and immediately reveal what would have been an incredibly shocking future then. She must have decided that you having the assurance that it would be your choice might make the transition more palatable. She does not make these revelations known lightly and she's been doing this for a very long time so she has excellent instinct about when to speak. You should take comfort in that."

"I hadn't really thought it out like that. That would kind of suck. How is she so _happy_ all the time?"

"Because she knows how important a moment can be."

Like the moment we first saw each other and I fell immediately in love with you? Yeah.

"Okay, so tell me what exactly it is that you do and how it will effect me."

"Mostly we just sit around in a very old building being annoyed by each other."

"We?"

"Myself and my brothers, Marcus and Caius."

"Your real brothers?"

"We're not blood-relations if that's what you mean but we've been together for most of our vampire years. We're closer than brothers. Probably where the annoyance comes in." He was smiling in a way I hadn't seen before. The way I did about Charlie and Renee when they weren't around. They were obviously his family and he obviously missed them.

"That's cute."

"And you are the only person in history to ever refer to the Volturi by that particular adjective."

"The Volturi? Is that what you're called?"

"Yes."

"Is it just you three in your smelly old building then?"

"I said 'very' not 'smelly.' And sort of. We're the ones who make the decisions but there are a close few who . . . do important things for us."

"I sure hope that's exactly as sinister as it sounded!"

"It probably would be to you, unfortunately. Several of them have what are considered to be very . . . disturbing abilities. They're quite useful to us in our work though."

"So are they like a kill squad then?"

"Jane and Alec are not executioners and Demetri does not perform the duty regularly, only when necessary. The rest possess defensive talents."

"So who does the killing then?"

"Generally, I do it but sometimes Caius. I made the laws, it would feel dishonest to pass off unpleasant responsibilities to others."

"You _made up laws_ and now you're enforcing them?"

"Every law was made up by somebody. And believe me, it was necessary for the protection of our kind. Especially because people used to actually believe in us and even attempt to _hunt_ us, the silly things."

"Aw. How very sad for you that they wouldn't just stand still and let you eat them."

"Oh don't worry, they were very bad at killing us, we were just fine. Ironically, more died in the attempts than we would have killed in the first place!"

"I was joking, you _manic_. You're not coming off very sympathetic so far."

"I know, but believe me, if you were a vampire then you'd think it was hilarious."

"And that's the strangest 'you had to be there story' ever."

"No, the strangest one was the time—well, I'll let Caius tell you about that himself. It's his favorite story."

"I can't wait."

"We're really not so bad, you know. Someone has to do what we do."

"Is that actually true or do you have to believe that to live with yourself?"

"That was unnecessarily rude, Isabella. I'm only being honest with you. If you don't like the answers than you shouldn't ask any more questions but don't judge me for information you requested."

"I'm sorry. It's a little upsetting is all."

"I understand that, but I'd rather you didn't punish me for doings things that seem distasteful to you when you do not understand their significance."

I felt like crying. I didn't want us to fight over this but hearing about these things was making his other life real. When I turned, we wouldn't stay here in Forks, I would go with him back to that life and I needed to know about it first.

"You said you made the laws, does that mean you're the leader?"

"We lead together."

"But they don't enforce them? Just you do that?"

"We discuss what needs to be done together."

"But _you_ do it," I pressed.

"What are you trying to find out exactly? Or are you just looking for a reason to dislike me now that you know what I do?"

_"I just want you to admit what you're obviously the leader of this thing that you're describing so I know if am I expected to live in a giant crypt with the vampire police and be the Queen of the Damned!_"

"Please do not yell at me. I don't like yelling."

"Well I don't actually fucking care right now."

"You . . . don't care how I feel?" His own anger was gone now and he just looked hurt.

"That's not what I meant," I said and I went to reach toward him but he was off the bed already and across the room by the door.

"I'm going to leave for a few minutes. I would like you to promise me you won't go back to sleep while I'm gone."

"Fine."

And then he was gone and I spent several minutes trying desperately to not cry because I didn't know how long he would be gone and I was still at the stage where I cared if he saw me with snot on my face. But I eventually failed in that effort and cried for a good twenty minutes before I finally managed to stop and clean my face in the small bathroom. My cheeks were blotchy but there wasn't any snot at least. I went back to the bedroom and found him standing in the middle of the room looking about same the way I had looked in the mirror just now only with perfect skin. I walked straight into his arms and immediately started crying again. He made me sit on the bed and then vanished for a moment and came back with a box of Kleenex. I probably should have looked for those the first time. I was able to compose myself much quicker this time luckily and as soon as I could speak I asked him if there was any way he didn't have to go back to Italy, knowing it was probably a stupid question.

"That would prove difficult. Already there are questions regarding how long I have been away. Caius in particular is not happy. He doesn't enjoy interacting with people and usually I do that part."

"How long were you supposed to be here?"

"I wasn't supposed to be here at all."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I left without telling anyone."

"Why?"

He looked at the ceiling. "I don't know. I wasn't happy. I guess even power gets boring after a while. I stopped eating. I actually wondered if it was possible to starve to death. I avoided everyone as much as I could but I knew Marcus was starting to become suspicious. He saw that I was drawing away. I'm surprised I concealed it as long as I did from him. He's known me longer than anyone. I knew he was going to ask about it and I didn't know what to say. So I just left . . ."

"Why did you come to Forks?"

"Because of Carlisle. We've been friends for many years. He actually lived with us for a short time."

I couldn't picture kind, beautiful Dr. Cullen hanging out in some scary vampire hideout in Italy.

"I shouldn't have done it, it was stupid of me to travel not having eaten in so long."

"How long?"

"A few weeks. Then I few more after I arrived here. I wasn't even thirsty though. I mean, I felt like I needed to eat but I didn't have any desire to."

"You sound depressed."

"I suppose I was. There wasn't much I could do about it although I did consider asking Carlisle to destroy me."

My heart contracted painfully at these words. "I'm glad you didn't. Are you still thinking about that now?"

"No," he said. He kissed my cheek and put his forehead against mine. "All better now."

"What happened?"

He sighed. "Well I was wandering around Forks this one night, I'd already been here for a few weeks but I hadn't really gone out much and I was just sort of drifting when I walked by a little coffee shop . . . "

I didn't interrupt him verbally but I'm sure he heard my heartbeat quicken.

" . . . and I saw a girl inside."

"Me."

"No, Andrea."

Before I had time to be mad he said, "She was walking toward the window, rolling her eyes and when she moved away I saw another girl, kneeling on the floor next to a mess of broken dishes and scattered food. She had dark hair and eyes and lovely skin. She looked up and I thought she saw me because she paused for a moment. But she wasn't looking at me. Anyway I wasn't the same after. I didn't feel lost anymore. It was like . . . sunlight."

"I remember dropping that tray. I know I looked pissed so you made up that touchy-feely sunlight thing in your head."

"Grumpy sunlight," he said happily. "Lovely, wonderful, grumpy sunlight."

"And then you started stalking me?"

"I only wanted to be near you. I wasn't trying to be weird. I never climbed in your bedroom window while you were sleeping or followed you anywhere or did anything illegal. I just went to where I knew you'd be. I never even intended to speak to you. But then you came up to me that night and you were so nervous and I thought maybe I finally had confirmation that my preposterous infatuation wasn't entirely one-sided. And you were so _close_ to me. I couldn't stop myself from asking you to see me outside of your work even though I knew it was inappropriate and dangerous and completely contrary to the laws I live. But all I could think was that if you said 'yes' it would mean getting to be close to you again. You . . . saved me, I couldn't stop myself."

"Good to know I'm not under any pressure to not let you down."

"Absolutely not, if this doesn't work out, I'll just go home and try that starving to death thing a second time."

"God, you're so_ emo_."

He huffed condescendingly. "Those kids know nothing of angst. There is no angst like the kind you feel after three millennia of the same thing."

"Poor baby," I said unsympathetically.

He ignored my mocking elegantly. "Why did you finally come up to me last week, Isabella?"

"Because I'm stupid."

"Talking to me was stupid?"

"While carrying a pot of hot coffee? Uh, yeah, you saw what happened."

He smiled. "But why did you pick that particular night?"

"I don't know. You were there later for one thing. And Andrea was out back. And the shop was nearly empty, so I had been . . . staring at you. I guess."

"I knew it. You were very sneaky though. I almost never caught you which is amazing considering I'm a very powerful vampire and you are a remarkably clumsy human."

"Yeah. Thanks. So you were never going to talk to me if I didn't talk to you first?"

"I was . . . going to leave Forks, actually. The following day. That's why I stayed so much later. I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to return and I wanted to be near you as long as possible."

I swallowed and it hurt. "And then you decided to stay because I came up to you and _spilled coffee on myself?_ I hope you know that sounds insane."

"It wasn't a decision. I _couldn't_ leave. I know you won't like this but I still tried. It was after I got close to you that I realized how much I really liked you. It was more than I thought and it frightened me. I knew if I got closer to you eventually you would know and that could lead to your . . . to you dying. But I was selfish. I've risked your life without any consent from you. I'm so sorry."

"You haven't done anything to me or with me that I didn't consent to."

"But you didn't know enough to consent. I've done a terrible thing to you. I shouldn't have stayed here. I _tried_ to leave . . ."

"Stop saying that. It's upsetting me. It makes it sound like you regret talking to me."

"I don't. I only regret that you are now faced with a decision you cannot comprehend the ramifications of. I've doomed you to a life you may hate or maybe not life at all. You may end up hating_ me_ after a while for what I've done to you."

"Well, I'm here, I know, and I do not currently hate you. So, the only decision left now is when I'm going to change, isn't it?"

"So, you have decided?" I could tell he was trying to keep the hope out of his voice.

"What do I have to lose?"

"Other than your entire life you mean?"

"What's my life? I've been working in a coffee shop and living in my childhood bedroom. I don't have anything here to lose, Aro. But it I change, I gain you."

"You already have me."

"But I can't _keep_ you unless I'm also a vampire, right?"

"You cannot remain a human and in a relationship with me . . . for very much longer," he said, looking at the floor and not me.

I sighed. "This is _illegal_, isn't it, Aro?"

"What's that?"

"What we're doing. What_ you're_ doing with me. The reason you haven't ever been with another human girl is because it's _illegal_."

"Technically, yes. But it's not illegal to make new vampires so, obviously, there are provisions for telling humans about us in those cases."

"Uh-huh. I'm guessing there aren't any 'provisions' for _making out with humans_ though, are there?"

"While that particular language has not ever been used, it is _implied_ that that type of thing wouldn't be generally accepted, no."

"And if you found another vampire doing you're doing, what would happen to him?"

"I would tear his idiotic head off," he said without hesitation.

"And would one of your 'brothers' do the same to you if they knew about me?"

"I'm not entirely sure."

"Well, it sounds like me becoming a vampire is spectacularly selfless, since I would be doing it to save your life and all."

"You would be killed as well," he said, seriously. "I would be given some semblance of a trial but you—you're just a human so . . ."

"I'm just food."

"Not to me."

"Does that mean you would try to protect me?"

"If I could."

"With your own life?"

"You want me to say I'll die for you?"

"I'm going to 'die' for you . . ."

He studied me for a few moments and then said, "Me giving up my vampire life is not the same as you giving up your human one you realize."

"Is that a 'no' then?"

"No, that's just a very complicated question. It's the sort of thing people say in fake stories and I do not wish to lie to you by saying it's true if I do not know that it is. I'm an admittedly selfish person so I can say only that as of now, the idea of you being harmed in any way is not a thing I can comprehend and so I cannot say what my reaction to it would be. However, I _believe_ that if there were a situation in which your well-being were threatened I would feel inclined to illogically place myself in peril to prevent it."

"That sounds like a wordy way of saying you'll die for me . . ."

He closed his eyes. "I feel as though I would die without you, so if that is the same thing to you than, yes, Isabella, I will die for you."

"Cool. Then I will become a vampire, go to Italy and share a coffin with you and never bother you about your work or your diet."

"I'm certain that last part is a promise you're completely incapable of making but I appreciate that you're willing to accept the realties of my life, at least in theory."

"Sure, why not? Plus it sounds like the only way I'm going to get you naked anyway."

"Um, I need to know that you're not going to become an immortal just to have sex with me. Because that would be . . . crazy."

"I have other reasons."

"You actually don't really know that much about us yet."

"What's to know? You're pale, you have cold skin, you drink blood, you can go outside in the day time, you don't _actually_ sleep in coffins, thank God, and you can hang out with humans as long as they don't know you eat them. Sounds pretty good."

"We can go out in the daytime _sometimes_. We can't go out when it's sunny. It's why Carlisle and his family live here where it rains all the time."

"So the sun _does_ kill you?"

"No, it just reveals us to be something inhuman. Our skin is . . . prismatic in the sunlight."

"Prismatic."

"Yes."

"You mean _sparkly?_"

"That is another word which could describe the effect, yes."

"You're a _sparkly_ vampire." I snorted.

"I think we've covered that adequately. And you'll be 'sparkly' as well you know."

"Yes, but I'm a _girl_."

"Are you finished being childish or do you need another minute?"

"I'm done now. As long as you promise to let me see your 'prismatic' skin later."

"Very well."

"Awesome. So I'd have to live in a rainy place all the time?"

"Or only go out at night."

"Well, that's not great. But not a giant deal."

"It might be after a few hundred years," he cautioned.

"Yeah, I'm sure there are a billion human things I'll miss. But I get to be magic!"

"It's not magic."

"You're telling me reading minds isn't magic?"

"I don't believe you will be able to read minds. It's very unlikely you'll have any special abilities at all. They're rare, like I said. Although the fact that neither Edward nor myself are able to hear your thoughts is intriguing. It will be interesting to see how that manifests."

"Wait, what? Edward can read minds, too?"

"Yes, and from a distance. But he can only hear current thought, not all thoughts the way I can."

"_Aw_. You don't need to defend your powers to me. There's no chance of me thinking Edward is cooler than you."

"I didn't—I mean, I wasn't saying—_nevermind_."

"I love it when you're insecure! It's adorable."

"I don't think I like that your favorite things about me are ones which embarrass me in some way."

"Those aren't my _favorites._ I like your eyes. I like your voice. I like your voice _a lot_. You're really funny. And sweet. And I'm really pretty into kissing you." He let me kiss him for a minute before pulling away under the pretext of making me get under the blankets again so I wouldn't "get too cold" but I was pretty sure he was just trying to pretend like I wasn't still half-dressed by concealing the evidence.

"I guess most of those aren't entirely humiliating," he said moving next to me but staying on top of the covers.

"Are any of them?"

"It probably wouldn't do for it get around that I'm 'sweet.' I have a certain reputation for ruthlessness that I'd like to keep for my own health."

"I won't tell anyone. If you make out with me for five straight minutes."

"You know, I'm not so sure you should be staying here tonight after all . . . "

"Fine. I will treat like you're repellant and never, ever touch you or indicate in any way that I am attracted to you from now on."

"That is not what I meant. _You are maddening_."

"Yup. Guess I'll go watch TV in the other room. You're welcome to come if you think you won't be too afraid."

He grabbed me around the waist before I could get off the bed. "I believe I still have to complete the conditions of your blackmail. You see, my reputation is very important in regard to keeping the vampire world from crumbling swiftly into chaos. If people knew that I were here, being _'sweet'_ to a human, and _touching_ them, not just for killing but for _pleasure_ that could be very, very dangerous."

He placed his mouth on my throat like the day before, pressing the flat of his tongue against my pulse point.

I gasped. "You _like_ this. You like getting away with breaking your own stupid laws!"

"Everyone likes breaking the law. If doing what the laws are against weren't so _alluring_, there wouldn't be a law, would there?"

He pulled away the blankets he'd just put over me and drew me into his lap, slipping his hand up the back of my shirt.

"But I'll bet being with me is the first time _you've_ ever broken any rules . . ." He slid his fingertips just below the waistband of my underwear. "_Isn't it?_ S_weet, innocent Isabella . . ._"

"I stole an eraser form school once," I said, shakily.

"Liar." He pinched me gently on the back of my thigh.

"Okay, it was an accident," I admitted. "I took it by accident and then just forgot to return it."

"Criminal. Remind me to give you a spanking after you're a vampire."

"Why would I remind you of that?"

"Because you're going to like it. A common trait among the terminally innocent is that they feel guilty all the time. They thrive on correction. It's just too bad it would hurt too much for me to do it now, you're in desperate need of one."

He gave me a light tap and I jumped. I didn't know if he was right but the way he was saying it was making my skin tingle oddly. I was relieved when we went back to just vanilla kissing and touching after that as I was suddenly very nervous that he was potentially into a lot of extreme and terrifying sexual practices that I had never even heard of. He must have felt that I was acting a little more stiff than before because he pulled back and laughed at me when he saw the look on my face.

"You can clear your pristine little mind if you're concerned about me being sexually depraved, my dear, I can assure you that I will turn out to be an adequately dull lover for you. In fact, I would wager that you will turn out to be far more adventurous than me. Another trait of the innocent is that they love being _naughty_."

He tossed me onto my back and straddled me, pinning my hands above my head. My hips rose off the bed without direction from me followed by a fierce blush that raced over my skin, not just on my face but down my neck and chest tinting my whole upper body with a rosy hue that confirmed his assessment more thoroughly than any verbal admission from me could have. He released my hands and kissed me softly.

"So innocent," he said affectionately and pulled me into a spooning position. He nestled his face into my hair, resting his cool cheek against my neck and saying my name quietly so that his breath ran along the underside of my jaw making me shiver.

I smiled and suppressed a small laugh. He wouldn't think I was so innocent if he knew what I was _actually_ doing while he was gone hunting . . .

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END NOTES:

This chapter gave me a lot of trouble considering it was a _six and a half thousand word conversation _(which started as a_ 2,800 _word conversation by the way). Hah. This was supposed to be up last night but I hit some snags in the middle at around 11:30pm and that was the death of that dream. But since that bit about spanking and the awkward "I'll die for you conversation" were added today, I'm glad. I wasn't sure about that last line but every time I read it it made me smile in that way that makes your face hurt so I left it in.

Oh God, _Barbie Aro!_ I'm still pissed they never made one. They made _Victoria_ though! Who the fuck wants Victoria? There's no _Team Victoria. _(And, yes, if they had made one, I would have made him do awkward Barbie-face kisses with my Bella and used that as my background pic on facebook. _Because I am an adult and I will do whatever creepy thing I want with my dollies._)

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**Favorite Line:** "I sure hope that's exactly as sinister as it sounded!"

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**PetersKitty**: Converting to AroBella is my greatest joy.

**Gorron:** So much laughing out loud. Thank you for that.

**Everyone else:** If I respond to every awesome thing, it will delay the posting of this by an hour and you've waited quite long enough, I think. The reviews on this chapter were completely delightful, thank you.


	9. A-R-O

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

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AN~This would have been up earlier but in the middle of formatting someone called me a hipster on facebook and I spent far too long defending myself for no reason. In the middle of my rant I may have yelled something like, "Well I'm flying to Forks next week to hang out alone and write Twilight fanfiction! Non-ironically! Because _I like it!_ So, _there! _Not a hipster!" I then deleted that entire thread.

That's a true story though. My plane leaves Saturday morning. Also I think I broke my toe (unrelated).

Anyway, if you're not already reading my new story**_ As You Wish_** and you want to read about Aro and Bella actually getting busy in great detail, that's the story for you. Next chapter won't be up for a few days though.

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**9**

"Hey, um, I don't know if we should hang out today."

It was Saturday and Charlie had gone fishing early again. It seemed like it had been longer than a week. Last Saturday, I was having a mini-nervous breakdown about my fake date with and almost stranger and I was still with Jacob and now I was practically engaged to that not-so-much-of-a-stranger-anymore and planning when I would become a vampire.

We had made plans to try to actually reach whatever the destination of last week's friend date was but now I wasn't going anywhere. This was the first time I had been the one to call him and it was to cancel a _real_ date.

"Have you decided you don't like me after all?"

"No. I just don't feel well."

"Well, I cannot get sick and we don't have to go anywhere if you'd rather stay at home . . ."

"I'm not sick. It's not that kind of not feeling well. I'm just . . . gross today."

"You're 'gross'? Are you going to be a big girl and say it or would you like me to embarrass you with the proper terminology?"

"Okay. Fine. I'm on my period. I figured you wouldn't want to be around me."

"Isabella, would you drink milk that had been sitting in your fridge for a month?"

"No! Is that what it's like!? Now you really can't see me! Oh, _God_."

"No. Do not have a fit. All I mean is that it's not the same as the blood in your veins. It doesn't increase my interest in your blood in general."

"But now I feel like I smell bad."

"I can hold my breath indefinitely."

"So I _do_ smell bad?"

"Oh dear, I think I have stumbled into one of those impossible-to-navigate-safely female hormone situations I've heard about. I am going to make you very angry I think if I come over so I will keep my distance for today."

"No. I need you to bring me ice cream. And trashy magazines."

"You want me to bring you . . . pornography? Do they even sell that in Forks?"

"I don't know. And no, not _porn_, I mean those magazines they sell at grocery stores with pictures of celebrities looking fat in swimsuits."

"I see. So all of those books in your room are a cover for your actual preferred reading material of the humiliation of the famous?"

"The quickest way to get stabbed by a hormonal female is to make fun of them, I should tell you."

"Good thing for me they don't make blades that sharp."

"Yet."

"Hmmm, yes. Humanity's ability to invent things with astounding destructive power is very impressive. What kind of ice cream would you like?"

"I don't want ice cream anymore. I want chocolate."

"Don't they make chocolate-flavored ice cream?"

"Yes. But I don't _want_ that. I want Snickers. It's a candy bar."

"Like that one you were eating so delicately at the gas station last Sunday?"

"Oh my God, you are _terrible_ at interacting with hormone-crazed girls."

"Probably why our secretaries don't last very long."

"What?"

"That's . . . definitely not something we should be discussing now."

"Okay. Um, just get here fast okay. And don't get any magazines that have that girl on the cover with the weird teeth. I don't remember her name."

He didn't ask for more clarifying information, probably because he was afraid to and was at my house ten minutes later with a plastic shopping bag which he handed to me before surveying my outfit carefully. I had bothered to change before he came but it was only into the next step up from pajamas which was the oldest pair of jeans I owned and my Shakespeare shirt which was a little too large. His eyes paused on the shirt for a moment but he didn't comment on it.

"You look very . . . relaxed," he said carefully.

"Just don't ever tell Jessica you saw me like this," I said, stepping back so he could come inside. He went past me into the kitchen and came back with a spoon which he placed in my hand before pushing me gently toward the living room.

I sat on the couch and looked in the bag. There were several candy bars, two magazines and a pint of ice cream.

"I said I didn't want ice cream anymore . . ."

I wasn't mad, just confused. He tilted his head and smiled.

"Just in case."

He was being nice but even that made me angry.

"You're okay at this, I guess," I said awkwardly.

"Thank you."

"This is my favorite ice cream."

"I was going to buy your least favorite but you had already warned me about teasing you so I didn't."

I didn't have to ask how he knew because it was obvious. He knew everything about me that Charlie knew. And more. He knew me better than my own father did. And he could use Charlie's memories to manipulate me as easily as he could Charlie himself probably. I decided I wouldn't yell at him about it until it became more intrusive than bringing me extra junk food but it was a little disconcerting.

He sat down next to me and pulled out my hair tie. He kissed my neck behind my ear and said, "You smell lovely."

I knew was trying to be sweet so I didn't tell him that all he was doing was telling me he likes the way gross people smell.

"Can I kiss you?"

It was the first time I had ever felt remotely like not kissing him. Which meant that I still wanted to kiss him I just wanted to keep my clothes on the whole time. I was grateful I had at least brushed my teeth that morning because all I had done was turn my head toward him before he was kissing me and whatever I had been thinking about before was definitely gone. Maybe it was the endorphins, but I felt a lot better when he stopped a few minutes later. Which he probably knew. He was definitely better than okay at this but I was still relieved that very soon I would never have to do this again so that particular skill could go unused and never be missed.

The television had been on before he got here and I'd muted it to answer the door. We sat there, staring at the silent screen for a few minutes, which was showing the beginning credits for an episode of _Jersey Shore_. He squinted at it and then a bit apprehensively asked, "You don't really like television very much, do you?"

"No, not really. But there's not really anything else to do."

"You could have read."

"I can't read."

"You have a lot of books for a person who cannot read."

"I mean I can't read right _now._"

"Menstruation nullifies previously acquired abilities?"

"Do not ever say that word again."

"What word can I say?"

"None. You don't need a word."

"But what if—"

"Oh my God. You are _really annoying_." Not so good after all. "Period, okay? You can say period if you _absolutely have to_ say something."

"Period."

"Yes."

"Very well. Can I ask why you can't read?"

"No. When they make things strong enough to pierce your skin I will shoot you the stomach with a nail gun and hand you a book and then you'll know."

"Well let's hope that discovery is a long way off," he said, shocked.

"Lucky for you."

I gave him an ominous look that made him shift uncomfortably and made me feel even better than after the kissing.

He took the bag from my lap and lifted the magazines out and flipped through one of them. "So, when you're having— when you're not feeling well, you read 'trashy' magazines?"

"Yup."

"Because they're mostly pictures?"

"Because they're easy to read. The articles are stupid. You don't need to think about them."

"I see. And in all of your two hundred and thirteen books, you don't own any that are light enough to fit this requirement of insubstantiality?"

"It's not the same."

"I suppose if I don't understand that there is no way to explain it . . ."

"Nope. Wait, is that an exact number?"

"Of books?"

"Yes, of _books!_" For being in love with him, I was feeling a high level of dislike suddenly.

"Of course. I don't make vague statements."

"When did you count my books?"

"When you were drying your hair."

"So you counted all my books and went home to change in less than ten minutes?"

"No, I also searched for your diary and looked at your underwear. But I didn't touch anything," he added when I made a face.

"I don't have a diary."

"I know, I was very disappointed. I was hoping to find my name written somewhere surrounded by little hearts."

He was watching me closely as he said this and then gave me a weird little smile. I looked back at the TV quickly, hoping it would distract him and he wouldn't ever find out that I _had_ doodled hearts on that phone message before tearing it into the tiniest pieces possible and throwing it away. It was still in the trash in my bedroom and I didn't want to find out if he was amazing at puzzles.

"It's spelled A-R-O by the way in case you'd like to later."

I could see he was smiling at me still and I decided to just ignore him.

"And the surname I use is 'Maida', M-A-I-D-A. So you can see how it looks with your first name."

"Ugh. Shut _up_."

"You really should take out your trash more often."

"You dug through my trash can!? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I didn't 'dig', it was on top. I saw the letters 'a' and 'r', who could have possibly resisted that?"

"A normal person who doesn't _spy_ on people."

"Oh, I'm sorry, you started dating a vampire who looks twenty human years your senior and is supposedly the uncle of some of the people you graduated high school with because you're into normal now?"

I started watching TV again and didn't respond.

"Don't be mad now. It was very cute. As far as I know you're the first girl to ever do that with my name."

"It wasn't even your name! It said 'Arrow'!"

"And now you know how to spell it properly, Isabella _Maida_."

"You can go home _whenever_ you want, you know."

"Why don't you come for a drive with me."

"I don't want to move."

"You won't have to, you'll be in the car."

"I'll have to move to put on shoes and a coat."

"I will carry you and the car will be warm."

"Fine."

He went outside to start the car and I lay back down on the couch where I had been before he got there. He came back a few minutes later just as Snooki began having a very intoxicated conversation with a bush.

"These people are supposed to be Italian?" he asked.

"I don't know. They're not actually from Italy . . . " I turned up the volume so he could hear them talking and he made a short, jerky movement like he was going to cover his ears. I turned it off. "I think the best description of what they are is 'Italian White Trash.'"

"I'm not entirely certain what that means but it sounds fitting . . ."

He took the bag with the ice cream in it and disappeared for a second and then came back and lifted me off the couch smoothly, holding me like you would carrying a bride over a threshold.

"This feels stupid."

"Well, there are several other ways I could carry you but two of them wouldn't feel very good on your stomach right now and the third is a little obscene for the outdoors although I'd be perfectly happy to show it to you at a later time when you're feeling better."

"Okay. Yeah. This is fine," I said in a very compressed voice.

When we were seated in the car he produced one of the candy bars from his jacket pocket and set it in my lap. I took it but didn't open it.

"You should eat that."

"I don't really want you watching me eat . . ."

"Well, what scientific data there is in relation to this issue suggests that eating that will make you feel better. And be less . . . touchy."

"Calling me 'touchy' is—"

"Yes, I know. But as most males would probably have said, 'less of a bitch' you should probably just appreciate my ability to be subtle and my dislike of derogatory profanity."

"Okay." I opened it and attempted to eat it as daintily as it is possible to eat a candy bar. "So, are you saying you think I _am_ being a bitch but you just don't like saying it?"

"Of course not. I think you're adorable all the time. And your anger was perfectly justified. I am very annoying."

He took my hand and kissed it.

"If I say you're beautiful today would it upset you?" he asked.

"No. I just probably won't believe you."

"You know that I don't see you the same way other humans do, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you look different to me than you do to them. Your skin has more depth and your hair is a very lovely combination of about twelve different shades of brown, red and gold. And you eyes are . . . without adequate description. So even on what you think is your worst day, you're far prettier than any other human around."

"Oh. Okay. Um, will you still like me if I cry a lot today for no reason?"

"I will if you don't get mad at me when you find out where we're going."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"No."

"Okay."

It was becoming harder every day not to blurt out that I loved him. The words seemed to be always sitting on my tongue ready to leap off and I knew if I didn't say it soon by choice I was going to say it accidentally, probably at an awkward time that was also extra humiliating somehow. But I was still thinking there would be a moment and I would know it when it came. He smiled at me causing a sharp, imaginary pain in my chest and I hoped that moment would come soon before my heart literally exploded from keeping my emotions stoppered up inside of it.

* * *

The next morning, I picked up the phone to call Jacob. I had tried the afternoon before when Aro brought me back home and Billy had told me off in a way that was both polite and cold. I wasn't going to give up though. I dialed his number without needing to look at the keypad. The pattern was programmed into my muscles. I put it to my ear and heard a long silence and then a click before it started ringing. It always did that when calling La Push and I had never thought anything of it until now. There was a knock on the door. I went to open it with the phone still at my ear. Aro was standing there, smiling benignly. I pressed the button on the phone, hanging it up mid-ring, with it still held to my ear. I was about to push him back and step out onto the porch to inquire why he had insanely shown up here right now and say he'd better not be here to do something very, very stupid like _tell_ Charlie about us but then Charlie's voice came in from the other room.

"Is that Aro? Game's about to start."

He smiled at me sweetly. He was _here_ to see Charlie. I did not like this. I glared at him.

"I'm just doing what we agreed on," he whispered. "Can't very well do that if I don't get to know him, can I?"

I trailed him into the living room, not really trusting him alone in there. Charlie looked up at me, surprised.

"Hey, Bells, you haven't watched a game with me since you were ten."

I wasn't watching really so much as hovering awkwardly by the couch. Luckily, I wasn't required to respond.

"There's beer in the fridge," Charlie offered. Not to me, obviously.

"Oh, no thank you. I told Bella I would give her a ride to work later," Aro said smoothly.

"That's three hours from now. I promise I won't call the cops on you!"

Oh dear God, what was _that?_

"I don't like to take chances with things like that," Aro said, glancing at me. It was only for a fraction of a second but I still felt like it was too revealing. Apparently Charlie did as well because he looked back and forth between us for a minute before asking pointedly when I thought my truck would be repaired.

I left the room as quickly and non-obviously as possible after that. Vivid images of us kissing in various locations, particularly on the couch where he was currently sitting and in my room, half-dressed in rain-soaked clothes, started filling my mind and I knew if I stayed in the same room with Aro my face would turn a bright, confession red in a matter of seconds.

I went upstairs. And paced. I could hear them talking and, occasionally, laughing downstairs. It was surreal. I had left my bedroom door cracked and when I heard footsteps I was about to peek around the frame when the door was suddenly pushed open. Aro swept into the room, swiftly shutting the door to same place it had been before. I didn't even have time to speak before he had pushed me back into the wall and started kissing me like he was about to board a ship leaving for war, even slipping his hand up the front my shirt for a minute.

"Oh, so now you're all about getting physical? When we can't do anything?" I asked when he finally let me breathe.

"Because we can't do anything," he said, grinning. "It's safe. I might come over _every_ Sunday . . ."

I gave him a very disgruntled look. Charlie called from downstairs.

"Where does he think you are?"

"Bathroom."

"Well, you better go. You're a boy, you're supposed to pee for ten seconds and not wash your hands."

"Sorry, we didn't have quite the same arrangements for that sort of thing when I was human."

"Right. You guys are really loud by the way. Charlie is never like that. I think he's in love with you. You'd better be careful."

"Hmmm, wrong Swan. Too bad."

Before I could respond, he was gone again.

I spent the next hour and a half trying to block out the sounds of them which were irritating me immensely for some reason. Finally I grabbed my coat and hurried downstairs. They both turned their heads when I went into the living room.

"Hey, I'm going over to Jess'. She'll give me a ride to work so, you know,_ enjoy_ your day."

"There, now you can have a beer," Charlie said cheerfully.

Aro looked at me like I'd tricked him into gluing his finger tips together. Yesterday I had asked him about the coffee he was always drinking in the restaurant and he said that he _could_ drink and eat human food, they just tasted bad or were even painful.

"Coffee burns and makes my stomach hurt for a few hours afterwards."

"Burns how?"

"Probably about the same as if you placed a curling iron against your cheek."

"I hope you're kidding."

"Why would I?"

"Because you were in there multiple times a week for months! That's crazy, why didn't you get something else?"

"Forgive me, but I wouldn't eat the food there even if I were human."

When I asked him what various things tasted like he described beer as tasting "like a fat tourist's neck sweat."

I managed to keep the smile off my face with an apocalyptic effort as I left the room. Serves him right for coming over and deliberately torturing me.

I went outside but I didn't go to Jessica's, I walked a quarter mile to the town's single pay phone and called Jacob's again. Six times. The last time I told Billy that I had ten dollars in quarters and wasn't giving up. I didn't. I was on my last quarter and I was desperate. There was a long silence and then Jacob answered.

I didn't let him try to get out of talking, I just cut him off and ranted until I was done. "Jacob Black, I have known you my whole damned life, you're being unfair and you're treating me terribly. You need to stop this bullshit immediately. I don't care what's going on and I don't care that you can turn into the biggest fucking wolf I've ever seen suddenly, you need to come and talk to me. Now."

I was relieved when he said yes without more yelling on my part. We agreed to me meet and I hung up before he could back out.

I was standing under the large wooden sign which welcomed people to Forks in chunky white block letters, watching the turn off for La Push and listening for Jacob's bike. But he wasn't on his bike when he finally arrived. He had a truck, not as old as mine but not new either.

"I knew you didn't have your truck. Because, you know, I never fixed it for you," he said guiltily and I felt the anger recede a little. I guess I wasn't ever really angry though, just hurt that he was so evasive with me.

We drove out of town to a quiet, wooded turn off a few miles away. It had started raining just barely and the sound of the large drops landing on the roof of the truck reminded me of gunfire in old war movies. Appropriate, as I was fairly certain I was getting in the middle of some ongoing and probably violent battle.

Now that I was here I didn't know what to say, luckily Jacob broke the silence.

"How are you doing, Bella?"

With a question I had no desire to answer. What could I say? 'Oh, I'm actually pretty awesome. I'm _totally_ in love with that weird old vampire guy you saw at my house the other day. He's amazing. I actually think I'm going to marry him, become a vampire myself and run away to Europe! The only way my life could be better is if I could nail down this whole thing where I friend-zone you and then I can have everything I want! How are _you,_ Jake?"

Instead I said, "Um. Okay, I guess. It sucks not seeing you."

"Yeah. But now you know though why I couldn't."

"I don't, actually. I don't know why you couldn't just tell me. I would have understood. I mean, I do now so . . ."

"Yes, well, it seems like you've been getting a _thorough_ education in supernatural things lately."

He didn't even sound bitter. He sounded broken, which was much worse.

I decided to ignore the comment and focus on the topic. "So, have you always been able to do that?"

"Nope."

"Is this . . . a puberty thing?" I asked hesitantly.

He looked at me with a reproachful face that would have made me laugh at any other time.

"No, Bella, I'm far past the point in puberty where there would be any big surprises."

"Okay. It just seemed like a good guess . . ."

"Really, Bella? You'd think maybe you would go for the more obvious choice. Especially after what happened in your yard the other morning."

"And that is?"

"Your vampire boyfriend. He's why. He's what happened."

I winced at the way he said "boyfriend." It sounded like someone had stabbed him. I guess they had. Me. Right in the heart.

"I don't understand what Aro has to do with any of this."

"I think there are a lot of things about him that you don't understand."

"Well, you're wrong. I mean, he's been pretty honest with me."

"And you know that because he said so, right? Have you talked to anybody else about him? Like the Cullens?"

"I've talked to Alice a little bit. She said I shouldn't judge him too quickly. Advice I'd like you to take as my friend." It was a risky thing to say. There was a good chance he would kick me out of his truck and leave me out here and most people would say he was justified in doing it. Most people would do it. But not Jake. I had nearly forgotten how sweet he was and what he said next made me sick with grief for our sudden lost closeness.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Bell. I want you to be happy."

"And if I was happy . . . with Aro, would you want to know about it?"

"So you're definitely together then?"

I imagined that if I were already a vampire that I would have been able to hear his heart crunch as it broke, like ice shattering over a frozen puddle when your foot goes through it.

"Yes."

"When did it start?"

An impossible question to answer because even I didn't know. There were two simple answers and both would hurt him. One was, "The minute I saw him." And the other was, "When he asked me out right before the last time I saw _you_."

"I'm not really sure. He's been a customer at the coffee shop for a while."

"A customer? Why would he be in a restaurant?"

"I guess he likes people watching." _'Or me watching,'_ I didn't say.

But what I _had_ said was just as bad because now it sounded like he was in there scoping out prey. Crap.

"I know when you're lying, Bella."

"I didn't know he was coming there because of me, Jake. I swear." That was true but I left out that I was glad he was there because I wanted to see him and that I had swapped shifts to see him more often.

"And then suddenly you're instantly together right when we break up. What a coincidence!"

I didn't like that he was accusing me of cheating even if there was a small amount of truth to it.

"Nothing happened. Not until after we broke up."

"Nothing you could feel too guilty about, right? But something happened. It's the only thing that makes sense. You . . . already liked him, huh?"

Why was he making me torture him?

"I thought he was interesting," I admitted.

"Are you in love with him?"

"It's kind of soon to be saying things like that . . ."

I couldn't flat out lie to him.

"No, it isn't, Bella. You know. It's never too soon to know something like that . . ." He said miserably. Here he was, admitting he'd loved me right from the beginning. He'd already known something at fifteen that I had only realized recently. Because you _could_ only know it if you'd been in love.

"Okay, yes. I love him. I'm sorry." It was weird to be saying this when I hadn't even told Aro yet. But wasn't your best friend always the first person you told? It was just tragic circumstance that my best friend happened to be a boy who was in love with me.

"What kind of relationship can you even have with him?"

The full answer to that would certainly send him straight through the rusty roof of the truck so I gave as indirect an answer as possible.

"A normal one. What's different?"

"He's a monster, Bella. I know you're not this stupid so please stop. He's going to leave here soon and I'm pretty sure he'll try to take you with him if he's anything like the rest of his kind."

Leaving? What? "I don't understand. Why do you think he's leaving?"

"Because we're going to make him," he said bleakly. "The pack. It's what we do. We're the protectors of this land. The Cullens made a treaty with our tribe a long time ago that they could live here as long as they didn't kill here. Since they don't drink human blood, they're allowed to stay as long as they continue to follow that lifestyle. But your . . . friend, he's not a part of that. Even if he hasn't killed here yet, he drinks human blood, he can't stay."

"I don't think he was ever intending to stay here," I said quietly. Now Jake knew that I knew Aro wasn't going to stay forever.

"Has he already asked you then?"

"Asked me what?"

"To become . . . like him."

"It's been talked about."

"You can't do it."

That sounded like an order. I didn't like being told what to do.

"I don't think that's any of your business," I said coolly.

"Well, it is. If he tries it, I'll kill him."

"Oh, really? _You'll just kill him?_ That sounds a bit ridiculous. He wouldn't be hurting anyone. If that happened it would be my choice so I repeat that I don't think that's _any of your business._"

"We would be enemies. If you did that. Their kind makes my kind. We transform as a reaction to their presence."

"And are 'your kind' everywhere?"

"No."

"Well, guess we'll have to do it in Italy then where we won't be bothering you!"

If I had stabbed him in the heart earlier, this was twisting the blade.

"So, you've already decided. You're going to run off with that psychopath and turn into a bloodsucker."

"He's not a psychopath! You don't know him so just shut up!" Hearing those words come out of my mouth made me feel like I should go straight on home and book a spot on an episode of Maury. Then my vampire babydaddy and werewolf ex-boyfriend could fight it out with a screaming audience and misspelled subtitles. I'd probably need to buy a tube dress and change my name to Krystynne for that event though.

"I'll tell Charlie," he said.

"I will never speak to you again." Never too early to start learning my lines!

"What will that matter if the alternative is you disappearing to Italy and me never seeing you again anyway?"

I was beginning to panic. Maybe I shouldn't have called him. I didn't realize what was happening though. Now I had put both myself and Aro in danger.

"Please, Jake."

"I won't hurt him." I started to relax until he said, "If you convince him to leave."

"Leave when?"

"Right away."

"But I could just leave with him right now, why would that change anything?"

"Because you won't. You couldn't just leave Charlie like that."

He was right of course. I couldn't leave now. So I challenged him.

"No. I'm not going to make him leave. If you want to come after him, do it. But I'm guessing you can't, can you? Because he hasn't _done_ anything. So you can just leave us alone." Cue applause.

"You're the one who called me, Bella."

"That was before I knew you wanted to kill my boyfr—Aro." I said defiantly.

"Fine. But I warned you. The pack won't tolerate his presence much longer. If you really do . . . _love_ him, you'll convince him to leave Forks."

"I'm going to be late for work," I said.

He dropped me in front of the shop and I didn't say anything as I got out of the truck. I slammed the door and didn't look back.

I _was_ actually late. I was almost never late and this was the second time in a week. As soon as Sherry saw me, she dragged me into the back and pushed me down onto an overturned bucket next to the rack where we kept all of the dishes. Even in my miserable state I couldn't help noticing how much debris there was on the floor underneath. Gross. Aro was wise to avoid our food I guess.

"What's the matter with you, baby? You got more boy troubles?"

"What do you mean 'more'?"

"I just mean with you and Jacob breaking up and that long-haired whack-a-doo always hanging around here staring at you."

I laughed and then started crying hysterically. She handed me a stack of napkins whose thin, non-absorbent layers were mostly useless against the flood of snot and tears now oozing from various locations on my face.

"Jacob hates me," I said when I had composed myself enough to form words again.

"Oh, I'm sure that isn't true," she said, patting my back. "That boy couldn't hate anybody, least of all you."

She may have been right about him not being able to truly hate me, but if he hadn't already hated Aro before, I was pretty sure he did after our conversation today. I couldn't tell her all of what had been going on so I just thanked her and waved away her offer to send me home.

My shift passed in a mechanical haze of writing tickets and carrying plates and filling coffee cups and sliding credit cards. I fake smiled brightly at customers, hoping they didn't notice how fake my courtesy was.

I considered tripping Andrea who I overheard saying Jacob had dumped me because I was a slut but I held off. I was too miserable to really work myself up into a need for vengeance.

Finally, I flipped the plastic sign in the window to CLOSED and went behind the counter for my coat. I was glad I had grabbed my heavier one earlier as it was freezing outside. I turned to the parking lot automatically. I knew Aro would be there and he was, waiting by his car, staring up into the unusually clear starry sky. The lot wasn't entirely empty yet but I went straight up and latched my arms around him anyway, not caring very much if anyone saw us.

"Hey, pretty girl. That was kind of a mean trick you played on me earlier," he said but his tone was soft and amused. He pulled away so he could see my face. He was smiling sweetly and I almost started crying again recalling Jacob's threats. Thinking about him dying was paralyzing. You expect a human love to die, but he wasn't supposed to, he didn't _have_ to. It wasn't inevitable. His cause of death could only be murder.

"Yeah, well, you deserved it." I knew my voice betrayed my state of mind even if my skin had cleared up from my crying.

Immediately serious, he asked if I was all right. I shook my head and my teeth started chattering. He led me to the car and put me in the passenger seat. It was already warm inside and I closed my eyes and put my head back on the head rest. He didn't try to ask me any questions and didn't speak at all until we were down the rode from the shop.

"Charlie was pretty drowsy when I left if you'd like to stay out for a little while I'm certain he wouldn't notice. But I will of course take you home if you'd like."

"No. I want to stay with you."

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"Yes."

"Now?"

"Not yet. I just want to be near you." I reached out and he took my hand.

"Okay. Where would you like to go?"

"To your house. And don't worry, I'm not in the mood to try to take your clothes off so you're safe."

"I would be relieved if the reason why weren't your unhappiness."

We didn't talk anymore until he'd parked in the driveway of the Cullens. He let go of my hand just long enough to go around the car to where I was and then took it again firmly. I couldn't stop myself from hugging him again. I just wanted us to be close. It almost felt like nothing bad could happen to him as long as I was holding onto him. He held me for a moment then softly insisted that we needed to go inside where it was warmer. As he let me go I saw movement on the porch and looked up to find Edward watching us with a bizarre expression on his face. He stared at Aro who nodded. They were having a silent conversation. Even though Aro couldn't read Edward's thoughts from this distance, he could communicate whatever he wanted. I had no idea what he told him but Edward seemed mollified and with an odd, appraising expression directed at me, he went inside.

"Here," Aro said and directed me to step up on a low brick wall bordering the driveway. He turned his back to me and instructed me to put my arms around his neck. I did and he reached back and caught me behind the knees, pulling by legs out from under me so I was clinging to his back. "Hold on tight, we're going to go kind of fast. Put your face down so you're not as cold." I squeezed him so he knew I understood and then he dashed off into the trees. The dark forest blurred by and in less than a minute, we were standing in front of the little house he lived in. He set me down carefully and opened the door.

It wasn't as cold inside as I had anticipated. I understood why as soon as we got into the small living room and saw that there was a fire already burning in the fireplace. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Alice," he said. "She likes you."

Now I was nervous about anything I said or did, if she'd seen me coming here, she could see anything. But if she'd come here that would mean she already _had_ seen it. Ug. That was dizzying.

It was still slightly chilly and Aro disappeared for a second, literally, and returned with a blanket for me. Then he placed me into chair by the fire. I was a little disappointed at first that it was only big enough for me but it was that kind of squishy chair you couldn't possibly resist relaxing in and I sank down into a comfortable slouch against my will but grateful for the softness. He sat on the floor in front of me and rested his head against my leg, looking up at me. This was good too. I burrowed one of my hands out of the folds of the blanket and touched his hair. He closed his eyes at my touch, smiling just barely.

"What did you tell Edward?" I asked.

"My intentions toward you. And my memories of you saying you want to become a vampire."

"Oh. Because he seemed to not be as mad after but I know he doesn't want me changing so . . ."

"You have a poor impression of him I'm afraid. He doesn't want for no one to ever become a vampire, he just feels like the decision should be informed. See, Carlisle changed him without his permission and he's never really forgiven him for it entirely."

"What? Dr. Cullen? That's weird. He's always seemed so nice."

"And he wasn't being cruel then either. Edward was dying when Carlisle changed him after a promise he made to Edward's mother before she herself died. Really, he saved Edward's life. He just gave him a life Edward can't let himself want. He's young, he'll adjust eventually. Or he'll choose true death."

"Oh. So, how does that work exactly?" I was clinging to the vague possibility that Jacob's threats were just threats and they couldn't really hurt him.

"Usually, by removal of the head and then you have to set the body on fi—"

"No! Nevermind, I don't want to know." Now all I could see was Aro getting his head ripped off by giant wolves and I thought I might throw up.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't be afraid of that though. You'll have lots of people protecting you after your transformation," he said kindly.

"It's not me," I said and I knew I was close to crying again. "It's you. I don't want to think about you dying. Ever. I saw Jacob today and he threatened you. I thought he was just being stupid but . . . does he have the ability to actually hurt you?"

He fidgeted, obviously not wanting to answer. "Technically, yes. They're strong enough to kill us in a pack."

"Oh God, you _do_ have to leave. Aro, you need to leave before they come after you. Jacob said they would. I can't let them hurt you and you're only still here because of me!"

I was growing panicky and hysterical even more nauseated. If they killed him and it was my fault—

He pulled me down into his lap and kissed my face. "They can't do anything because_ I_ haven't done anything."

"But Jacob said—"

"Jacob is not their pack leader. He can hate me and threaten me all he wants but he cannot do anything about it unless he directly disobeys orders and goes against the terms of the treaty himself."

"He said you weren't part of the treaty because you drink human blood."

"He lied. Or he doesn't understand. I'm a guest of Carlisle's and I don't hunt here. He has no justifiable cause to do anything to me."

"But—"

He turned my face, forcing me to look directly at me. "He cannot do anything to hurt me. I will stay here, with you, until you tell me to go. When you actually want me to, not when you're doing it out of fear."

I nodded and tucked my face into the space between his shoulder and neck, breathing in his comforting scent.

"Where did you see Jacob?"

"I called him."

"That was very dangerous," he said but he wasn't scolding me.

"I guess. But I had to see him. He's my best friend. And now he hates me."

"Is that why you were crying?"

"Yeah."

"Did he say he hated you?"

"No, but he was mad when he found out about us and he said he would kill you if you tried to change me even after I told him I—" I barely stopped myself before I said it. I was pretty sure in the middle of a panic was not the moment.

"Well, he can't do that. I've already promised Carlisle that your transformation will not happen here out of respect for his home."

"Okay." I attempted to make myself closer to him but I was already as close as I could be without fusing myself to his skin. "When are you going to make me go home?"

"Marry me tomorrow and you can stay forever."

"That's ridiculous. What would Charlie think?"

"That he has a perfect son-in-law who watches baseball and refuses to drive his daughter around if he's been drinking?"

"Or that some creepy old man wants a young trophy wife."

"Hmmm, I could buy a faster car that way . . . I think that's what is expected."

"Yeah, but, gross. Those are for douchebags. And you'd look dumb driving a sports car anyway."

"Thank you, my sweet, that was a very sensitive assessment."

"I'm kind of grumpy. Sorry. I'm actually kind of grumpy in general so you should probably think about that before you start proposing again."

"Oh, I already have. It's just lucky for me that you are so very pretty when you are grumpy."

A few hours ago I would have mocked him mercilessly for the the sappiness but now it just made me feel like crying more. I fought it because I had already spent an annoying amount of time crying in the last week.

Instead, I turned so I could kiss him and my alter ego that wasn't trying to take his clothes off suddenly vanished. I pushed him back onto the floor, kissing his face and neck. I grazed his skin with my teeth but I wasn't even sure he could feel it. A short almost inaudible moan informed me that he did. I didn't go much further though. My extreme melancholy had not entirely dissipated and after a minute I just put my head down on his chest and closed my eyes. He put his arms around me and we stayed that way until I heard a sound from outside. I sat up, suddenly filled with inexpressible panic. Aro didn't react at all though. His hearing was so much better than mine I knew he had to have heard it. It came again, and I recognized it now as people walking through the underbrush outside of the house. _'Or huge wolves!'_ my mind supplied unhelpfully.

Aro finally stood, moving me carefully to the floor. He looked down at me sadly.

"They're here."

"What? Who's here?"

My sudden, unnamed fear increased exponentially.

"Caius. And some of the guard, I imagine."

"How do you know?"

"Because Marcus never leaves home and I know how my own smell."

"Should I hide?" I asked, panic overwhelming me. I knew I wouldn't be able to move even if he said I should.

"No, my dear. They can hear your heartbeat as well as I can. And smell your unusual blood. They know already."

"Are they going to kill us?"

"Most likely, yes."

"Don't fight them. If you can get away, do it. Don't die for me. I'm not worth it."

"I may not be a hero, Isabella, but I'm not a coward either."

He kissed me with a careful passion that only increased my terror. It was a goodbye and it sent sharp, icy tendrils down from our lips to wrap around my heart and then squeeze it until it shattered. It didn't seem fair, we'd had so little time. I tried to tell him I loved him but I couldn't speak, my throat had seized along with my heart.

There was a knock. It seemed bizarre to knock on the door of a person you were coming to murder. Aro went to answer it, opening it just as politely as they had knocked. A blonde vampire in elaborate black robes stood in the doorway. He greeted Aro politely and then stepped into the room with a regal air that felt ridiculously out-of-place here in the simply furnished, warm little house. Caius. He was almost exactly as Aro had described him yesterday on our drive but infinitely more frightening. He did not look around, his eyes shot immediately to me, standing petrified in front of the fireplace.

"This is Bella," he stated. He looked me over for a moment, his gaze lingering uncomfortably on my waist and hips which seemed odd since I would expect him to look at my chest if he were going to look at any part of my body like that. "Is she pregnant?"

_'What?'_

"No."

He came toward me and I turned to Aro, silently begging him to stop this horrible, blond monster from coming near me. But Aro didn't move. He was watching closely but he remained by the door.

He stopped in front of me and leaned close but didn't touch me. Still looking at me he said, "Hardly seems worth the trouble, Aro. Although she does smell nice, I've never known you to play with your food this long."

He took the back of my neck and pushed me into the center of the rug in front of the fire, facing Aro who was still standing mutely by the door. He tugged my hair, forcing my head back.

"One of us is going to enjoy this little treat you've been hoarding. May as well be you, Aro. You've earned it with your life after all and I believe a last meal before an execution is the generally accepted practice amongst these warm ones."

Aro just shook his head. I felt both relieved and disappointed. I didn't want to be killed by anyone, but if someone were to do it, I'd prefer it be him. The thought of some strange vampire's mouth on me and their teeth breaking my skin made me feel sick.

"Felix," Caius said into the darkness beyond the doorway and I was momentarily relieved that he hadn't said "Jane" or "Alec" until Felix actually appeared. He was nothing like Aro's description, or Aro had vastly downplayed his size. I wouldn't have ever guessed he was a vampire, he was a beast, not at all elegant or beautiful like the other vampires I knew. He had to duck and turn sideways a little to come through the door. He was at least a foot and a half taller than Aro. He took Aro, roughly pinning his arms arms behind him even though Aro didn't struggle at all and brought him over to where Caius was holding me. Caius backed up to give them room and the large vampire forced Aro to his knees at my feet. He made Aro look up at me.

I felt Caius turn his face into my hair and inhale. "Hmmm, she does smell better each time, doesn't she?" he put his arm around my waist and pulled me back against him.

Aro reacted for a fraction of a second, his face flickered rage and then he was passive again, looking up at me but not really looking at me.

"What would you like, brother? Would you like to watch her die or for her to watch _you_ die?" Caius asked. His cold hand slipped around my throat and held my jaw firmly. I was shaking but not crying. I was too afraid to cry.

"Kill me," Aro said without pause. He did look at me then, undisguised guilt all over his face. "I said I was selfish. I'm sorry, Isabella, I cannot watch you die."

Felix's enormous hands moved quickly to Aro's head, one hand under his jaw, the same as me, and one holding Aro's hair in his fist. I closed me eyes and heard a harsh, metallic shriek and then a heavy, dull sound that couldn't have been anything but Aro's body hitting the floor. My throat thawed and I said his name. I screamed it. I tried to struggle against Caius. I kicked backwards but encountered nothing. His hand tightened and dark red pain blinded me as my jaw broke under his fingers. Then a sharp burn as his teeth pierced my neck. I opened my eyes and saw Aro. No, Aro's head. Felix was holding it up in front of me. His features were slack but his eyes looked aware. He was going to watch me die anyway . . . I closed me eyes again.

"Isabella."

Aro saying my name softly.

"It's late, sweetheart. I need to get you home."

Opened my eyes and found I was in the bedroom of Aro's house.

"You feel asleep on me and I'm a rather hard bed so I br—"

I dived at him and he caught me, surprised. I held his face in my hands, feeling below his jaw where his neck was keeping his head securely attached to his body and started sobbing.

"Would you like me to put you off on the floor next time?" he joked quietly.

"I had a dream," I said, the words broken up and wrapped in a series of painful gasps.

"Oh. Not a good one I gather."

"They came to kill us. Your brother and some others. They killed you right in front of me!"

"I shouldn't have told you all of that I suppose, it wasn't useful or necessary. I am sorry," he said and I saw a flicker of guilt exactly like in my dream.

_"I don't want you to die, Aro!" _

"I'm not going to die," he said soothingly. "You'll be changed soon and we'll be safe, I promise. But it is very late so we should go now."

"No." I held onto him stubbornly.

He laughed. "Well, I could carry you to the car like this, but it isn't very dignified."

"Okay, I'm getting up." I stood unsteadily. I didn't feel well. Maybe I was actually getting sick this time.

"Your hair is all . . . disheveled," he said with a strange smile. I wasn't sure what it meant until he pulled me against him and started kissing me in a pretty good reenactment of what had occurred in my bedroom earlier. I kissed him back wantonly and wondered if he would try to stop me from taking his clothes off then. I didn't want to have sex, I just wanted to feel his skin against mine so I knew he was real and alive and still mine. It felt like he was going to push me back onto the bed and then he stopped abruptly. "Okay. Need to get you out of my house now," he said hurrying me to the hallway.

I let him drag me outside and pick me up. As we neared the main house he said, "I think I will have Alice drive you home. . ."

When I looked disappointed he said, "It's better if I'm not seen bringing you home at this hour, I think."

"Yeah, I guess."

I was so tired and upset that the next few minutes were a bit of a blur and then I was in the car with Alice driving away. I looked back and saw Aro standing in the driveway, watching us leave, a complicated expression on his face, far more revealing than he usually let me see. He was worried too.

"It's going to be okay, Bella," she said.

"Are you sure?"

"No one can be completely sure, but I've seen a lot of happy things for you."

"And you're not going to tell me what they are, are you?"

"That would ruin the surprise. I love surprises."

I did not love surprises but I was too sleepy to argue. When we stopped at my house she said, "If your friend Jessica asks you to go shopping on the Saturday before your birthday, you should go."

What? Whatever. "Okay Alice, thanks for the ride. I'll see you later I guess."

"You will," she said with a mysterious smile.

Great. She knows everything about what's going to happen and I get to develop an ulcer worrying about it. Perfect. Just perfect.

* * *

END NOTES:

I hope it was obvious that that was a dream and no one actually thought Aro got his pretty little head ripped off. I think the biggest giveaway on that was that Caius got a little handsy with Bella and while Aro is romantic and sentimental enough to fall for a pretty human girl, Caius would _never_ do that. I'd be surprised if he kisses his own wife. I almost took the whole thing out because I was thinking, "Oh, dreams are a cliche," but then I was like, "Fuck that, people actually _have_ nightmares, and if this chick_ isn't_ dreaming about vampires and wolves killing her _every damned night_ then there's something fucking wrong with her!"

So, the biggest difficulty involved with writing _Aro in the Modern World_ is deciding how much he _knows_. The way I've found works best is to make him a person who does know nearly everything but also lives under a rock. He's the equivalent of someone who sits in a locked room with a computer and reads the internet all day. Not just the frivolous stuff we all read, but _everything._ Every meme, every song, every piece of news, every scientific discovery. Every facebook picture of a drunk girl making duckface. But he's never experienced _any_ of it. So he's a completely naive, literal know-it-all. Deciding exactly when to highlight this innocence is the hard part because it would be so much fun to do it _all the time_. But it would get tiresome and a bit showing-a-caveman-matches after a while. In this chapter was the first time I've really had a chance to do it and I chose Bella's "time of the month" because it's been talked about a lot by disgruntled Twilight haters who are jealous that sparkly vampires get more action than them and I like addressing things like that. And it happens to be a perfect illustration for this problem with Aro's vast but mostly useless knowledge of everything. He understands the science and mechanics of menstruation but quickly discovers that actually _dealing with_ a menstruating woman isn't something you can learn "from a book" so to speak.

Aro's line asking if it would upset her if he told her she was beautiful is a reference to an Adventure Time song. If you YouTube the phrase "Fionna and Gumball's song" you can hear it. It sums up their relationship in this story perfectly. It's like 30 seconds long.

And I don't know where they went on that drive. They weren't forthcoming with me so I eventually figured it wasn't my business. Maybe they'll tell me as I edit a future chapter.

Also, the phrase "top ten Snooki moments" exists in my search history now. I research my shit, yo. If it's even vaguely verifiable, I'm double checking. It's an actual sickness and it's one of the reasons these chapters take so long. Just be glad I don't always add _every detail_ of _my_ knowledge on some of these chapters because this is the cut down version here.

*gives self prize for longest author's note ever*

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_"Charlie is never like that. I think he's in love with you."_ Not in _this_ story . . . hahahahahaaaaaaa. Ah. Yeah. It's half written and it will break your fucking heart.

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Thank you for all the lovely reviews. Especially to the new readers who reviewed every chapter as they read! I want to hire someone you think is hot to kiss you on the mouth.


	10. Shit Fan Go

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

* * *

AN~The first half of this chapter was actually written during the draft of one of the early chapters. And almost the entirety of this is first draft which is unheard of. It just came out right the first time. The contents of this chapter kept me working toward the end of this story because I wanted to get here. I love the everloving crap out of Charlie.

Oh, yeah. Sorry about that dream. I guess everyone thought it was real. Even my husband who knew ahead of time that there was a fake-out dream.

* * *

**10**

I was tense for a while after my meeting with Jacob but when weeks and then a month and another month went by with nothing more happening I had started to relax a little bit.

Aro had been at my house, hanging out with Charlie on the weekends a lot. They were a little chummier than I was comfortable with but at the same time I was grateful Charlie didn't hate him since I was so ridiculously in love with him I went around with an enormous, utterly idiotic smile on my face pretty much all the time and made silly, airheaded mistakes at work often. Sherry knew what was going on because she'd seen Aro picking me up from work one night. I couldn't make up any stories about us being "just friends" because I'd had my tongue in his mouth at the time. Aro had shut down public displays after that and Sherry, as far as I knew, never said anything. Andrea's mocking did not pick up in pace which it definitely would have if she known.

I thought I did see Jacob once but it was one of those things where you think you see something and then you look back and it's gone. Like seeing a ghost. That's what it was like with Jacob because I felt a little haunted when I thought about him. My truck was still broken because Aro was driving me to and from work every day so I hadn't tried to get it fixed. When Charlie asked about it I said that Jacob _was_ going to fix it and then trailed off like I was going to cry and he never brought it up again. Then I went upstairs and actually cried. It was sort of true what I told him. I couldn't stand the thought of driving my truck. It did nothing but remind me of Jacob. And of everything that was gone. I lived in a weird limbo between pain and joy pretty much all of the time and if it weren't for the fact that the situation swung so often further into the joy side before snapping back to the tightrope between it the two, I would have gone insane weeks ago.

Charlie had gone into the station late that afternoon which he usually didn't do on a Saturday and so Aro arrived while he was gone. I let him in and took advantage of a rare opportunity to grope him in the downstairs portion of my house. He followed me into the kitchen where I had been making food and made fun of my cooking for a minute saying he was glad he would never have to pretend to like it when we were newlyweds. I had just turned on him and was getting ready to either hit him with the spatula I was holding or start making out with him again, I hadn't decided which yet when I heard the front door. We were about an inch from each other but then Aro was across the room, not very far in our small kitchen, leaning casually against a counter. It was understandable that I hadn't heard Charlie's car but Aro heard everything. I wondered if he'd done this on purpose because I was still insisting Charlie wasn't ready to know.

But Aro wasn't the one to give us away because he was looking completely neutral, bored even when Charlie came into the room seconds later whereas I was standing awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen with a hot pink face and my arm in the air in a very awkward position. I watched his eyes take in these details and then slide over to Aro who greeted him calmly.

Well, that was that. Now Charlie would attempt to kill him and something really, really bad would happen when he discovered he couldn't. I almost said something but Charlie was looking at me again and I saw Aro shake his head behind him.

"Hey, dad," I said, trying to make myself sound as cool as Aro had done and failing spectacularly.

"Game's already started," he said shortly and left the kitchen.

I gave Aro a panicked look but he just smiled happily and left the room as well. I looked back at my burnt sandwich and suddenly wasn't hungry anymore anyway. I threw it away and started for the stairs when I heard that the TV volume was unusually low. That couldn't be good. That meant Charlie expected to be talking. I made a few, probably unrealistic, fake walking-up-stairs noises and then slid along the wall until I was just outside of the door to the living room where I couldn't be seen.

Just in time to hear Charlie say, "I need to ask you something and I'd advise you not to lie to me."

Welp, there we go. I'm dead.

"Certainly," Aro said. "I don't think I've ever found cause to lie to you yet."

"Is there something going on with you and my daughter?"

Oh God, he had scary dad voice on. I almost jumped into the room then to end the conversation which Charlie had obviously waited for me to leave before starting.

"I like her," Aro said simply.

Here we go. I just hoped Charlie wouldn't try to shoot him. While it wouldn't hurt Aro, it would certainly reveal his unnaturalness immediately and a ricocheting bullet could be dangerous to both of the squishy little humans in the vicinity.

"You like her. Okay." I heard him take a deep breath and I realized I was holding mine.

"It would be hard not to like her," Aro said and his sincerity was pretty convincing. "She's smart and funny and I believe she has the capacity to do amazing things. I wouldn't want to get in the way of her doing any of those things. I don't want you to think I have unsavory intentions toward her."

"Uh huh . . ."

I could almost hear Charlie thinking and I wished like fuck I had Edward Cullen next to me so he could tell me what was going on in Charlie's head. That was desperation, when I wanted to hang out with Edward. He had become less frigid over the last two months but was still volatile and it made me nervous.

But Aro was doing well, I thought. Complimenting me and saying he didn't want to get in the way of my life. That was good.

"She's also pretty," Charlie said. he wasn't going to let Aro get away with BS'ing him by saying he liked me for my non-physical attributes.

"She is very pretty," Aro said and the tone of his voice made me sag against the wall. I don't know what Charlie's reaction was but I think that any outside observer would have interpreted it as total adoration.

"And young."

"Yes, she is young. But she's not like a lot of other young people. She isn't . . . frivolous."

"That's true. Bella's serious. But she's been kind of . . . drifting here since she graduated." The concern in his voice made me feel both guilty and loved. Mostly guilty. "So it concerns me to have someone like you show up here and show an interest in her while she's in a sort of vulnerable state."

"That's understandable."

"Does Bella know that you . . . uh, like her?"

"She's aware."

Shit. Fan. Go.

"So you two already have a thing going on then."

He sounded more controlled than I expected which was worrying in itself.

"I've been seeing her," Aro admitted bravely.

"Great. So it's one of those things where I'm the last person to know then?"

"Well I haven't told that weird guy in the post office who smells like Cheetos . . ." Aro said smoothly.

I heard Charlie make a sound that I knew he made when he was trying not to laugh. My scary European vampire boyfriend stalker was pretty good at this.

"I guess I don't need to tell you I'm not comfortable with this, since you've been hiding it from me, you must already know that."

"That was Bella's wish, not mine."

I couldn't be mad at him for selling me out because it was true and it did sound better.

"She wanted you to like me first. She thinks people will think I'm a pervert."

"I'm not entirely sure you're not so don't take your shoes off yet. And I _did_ like you. Right up until I found out you were secretly dating my teenage daughter."

"Do Bella's feelings factor into this conversation?" Aro asked.

"Bella's feelings."

"What I mean is, Bella is an adult and if you were thinking of doing something like forbidding her to see me or me to see her I need to confess that it's not something I'm willing to do. It wouldn't be fair to treat her like a child. If she didn't want to see me anymore, I would, of course, go away but only if she wished it."

"If we're talking about adults now we should maybe get around to how you are an adult in a way that Bella is not. Twenty years is a big gap."

"It is. But since there is nothing I can do to change that, I can't really apologize for it."

"Look, I don't know what Bella is going to be in her life but I really don't want something happening to her that would destroy her chance for a normal life before it even begins."

"I'm not sleeping with your daughter, Charlie," Aro said bluntly and I actually clapped my hand over my mouth to keep from yelping.

"I—um, okay. That's good, uh, good to know. Well, I'm not sure I really want to know but um, why? That's a little unbelievable, frankly."

"I know it sounds unlikely, but I would never intentionally do anything I thought had the potential to hurt her."

"Okay, well, I have a lot of experience at this point dealing with liars, both good and bad I believe you're not lying. So you're either a better liar than any I've ever met or you really do care about Bella as much as you say."

"I do. I intend to marry her."

Aro! What are you doing!? Stop. Now.

"You want to marry her now? You barely know each other!"

"I wanted to marry her the day I met her so any time after that doesn't really matter all the much, I think," Aro said. I didn't know if that was true but it seemed like a very stupid thing to say. I wondered if he met the day we spoke or the day he came to the coffee shop the first time.

"Which was how long ago?"

"Four months and three days."

Okay. First day in the shop then.

"Well, that's not at all creepy," Charlie said.

Yeah, Aro, way to be _not_ creepy.

"I would like you to tell me you have not suggested this to Bella," Charlie said sternly.

"Not officially."

"Okay, well I need you to not do that. Bella's too young to get married."

"I would take care of her."

"That's not the point. She shouldn't be tied down. She needs to experience the world a little."

"She would be able to see as much of the world as she likes, do anything she likes, I have the resources to make certain of that."

"Telling me you're rich isn't an incentive. I'm not selling my daughter."

"I'm not trying to be obnoxious. I just want to impress upon you that I would never do anything to hold her back and everything I can to make sure she's happy."

"Okay. Enough. That's enough for now. Obviously, I cannot forbid Bella to see you because that would end badly. So I'm just going to ask you to please not propose to her."

"For how long?"

"I don't know yet."

"Well, I'd feel weird just waiting around for you to tell me when it's okay for me to ask my girlfriend to be my wife."

"If you like her you'll wait," Charlie said.

"As you wish."

But I knew he was going to ask me again as soon as possible and seriously this time. I knew it wasn't as big of a deal as becoming a frigging vampire but it seemed scarier. Maybe because people would actually know about this. And judge me. Judge us.

I heard someone stand and I immediately bolted for the stairs as fast and as silently as I could. I was at the top step when I heard them enter the hallway in front of the door.

"Bella?" Charlie didn't sound amused. I turned around quickly and as casually as I could which resulted in me nearly tripping and falling down the stairs. Aro smiled at me and I nearly fell over for a different reason. I managed to just stand there, looking as innocent as possible but Jessica was right, I was a terrible liar. Even when I wasn't talking.

"It's pretty obvious you were spying so you can stop acting coy. I don't like looking stupid and I feel like I look pretty stupid right now so don't test me. No more sneaking around." He cast a mistrustful glance at Aro and looked back up at me grumpily. "I thought you were on drugs. I almost wish you were . . ." Then he turned and went back to the living room.

I came halfway down the stairs, bending to see into the other room. Charlie had resumed his seat and was staring fixedly at the TV, obviously attempting to avoid seeing any kind of affectionate activity between us. I straightened back up and smiled down at Aro. He was standing at the foot of the steps, looking up at me. I jumped and he caught me perfectly. I peeked at Charlie again before kissing him like I hadn't seen him in a week.

"Marry me," he whispered in my ear.

"You promised you wouldn't," I scolded.

"It's not official! I don't even have a ring."

"That's really cheap of you."

"I do actually have a ring."

"You know a ring isn't what I want though . . ." I said, biting his earlobe.

He made a nervous sound and said, "You father doesn't have vampiric hearing but you should probably not be saying or—ah aaaah—doing things like that right here."

"But it's okay for you to propose when you just said you wouldn't?"

"Unofficial!" he reminded me.

"I guess I can unofficially say yes. Then you'll _have_ to have sex with me. It's the law."

"I don't think that's a law anywhere. Unless you're required to produce an heir . . ."

"And_ that_ won't happen."

"No, I don't think so. You didn't want that did you?" he looked a little worried for a moment.

"No. Definitely no. I'm not maternal."

"That's good. You'd kill a baby so fast."

"That's a fucking horrible thing to say!"

"What? I've seen you trip over literally nothing. You'd drop a baby in a ravine or something."

"I wouldn't drop _my baby!_"

"Baby?" Charlie was standing in the doorway to the living room. I had said this last part too loudly. He was giving Aro a murderous look. We dropped our arms from around each other and I backed up managing to sit on the stairs in a way that almost looked intentional instead of falling over them.

"We were just talking about how we hate babies and never want to have any," I said.

"I don't hate babies," Aro said. "They smell nice."

Charlie looked back and forth between us. Aro was looking annoyingly chipper and I was poorly suppressing hysterical laughter.

"Well, it's getting late," Charlie said. It was six thirty.

"Yes," Aro agreed. "I promised Carlisle I would help him with a project."

"I'll walk you out," I said, bouncing up from the stairs.

Charlie glared, he wasn't oblivious to the fact that if you told your boyfriend you'd walk him out when he was standing at the front door that what you really meant was, "I'm going to go make out with you at your car for a minute."

"I'm going to go out back. Split firewood," Charlie mumbled awkwardly.

I heard the back door closing as I was closing the front one. Then I started laughing. I walked to the car with him and then backed him up against his door and started kissing his neck. He moaned a little and then pushed me back.

"I know your father said he was going out back but I'd prefer that he didn't come around and see you doing that to me in his front yard. I know he couldn't actually kill me but it would be bad for everyone if he were to try. And as he is currently hitting something with what sounds like a very sharp ax we should be extra cautious. He'd likely hurt himself."

"You're a really boring stalker."

"I'm trying to convince you to become a vampire and take you away to Italy with me, this is boring for you?"

"Meh."

"You're a strange girl."

"Come see me later?"

"How much later?"

"Surprise me."

"Oh that I could. You are unshockable."

"You just have to try harder," I said and walked away.

I heard an exasperated sound and then a car door. I turned then and watched him drive away with a light feeling of hope inside of me. Charlie knew finally. It was over. Now it didn't matter who knew. I went back into the kitchen but I still wasn't hungry, I opened the fridge and stared into it so long the light went off. I shut it when Charlie came in from out back, stripping off dirty industrial gloves.

He looked at me for a long time. I smiled back, trying to look the right amount of innocent and mature.

"Arrow."

"What?"

"That 'friend of Jacob's' that called. 'Arrow', that was him wasn't it?"

"Yes. But even I didn't know his name then so my guess could have been right . . . I mean, you talked to him . . ."

"But you knew because you knew he was going to be calling."

"He said he would but I didn't know when."

"Is this why Jacob and you broke up? I really hope not, Bella because he's—"

"A really nice boy?" I'm sure the irritation in my voice was unmistakable. "I know. because everyone keeps telling me that! Well, _he_ broke up with _me_, okay? And Aro is really nice too, which you already know, so don't start down that road unless you're going somewhere with an actual point and not just planning to yell at me about my choice of boyfriends."

He looked defeated and my indignation was crushed immediately under the massive weight of months of compiled guilt.

"I'm your dad, Bells. I'm supposed to protect you. But it looks like I didn't do a very good job of that."

"This isn't your fault. I mean, I was already dating him when you guys became friends."

"Great. That's great. So all of this was a plot? That doesn't make me feel any better."

"No. It wasn't like that. Look, you invited him over, not me. What would you have done if I had said something then? Or at any time?"

"Something not very nice I guess."

"You like him dad, so what's the problem?"

"I liked him as a sports-watching-occasional-drinking buddy. Son-in-law is a whole different thing, Bella. He's too old for you."

Oh, if only you knew _how_ old, twenty human years would be nothing.

"Well, I don't think that's really your decision. I mean, I wasn't going to stay in Forks forever."

"Are you talking about leaving?"

It hadn't occurred to me that the worst thing he had imagined so far was that Aro would get me knocked up and then we'd stay in Forks and I might end up as unhappy as Renée had been. He was seeing his own past in me and it must have been heartbreaking.

"Um, you knew he was just visiting here so . . ."

"Yes, I knew that when we were friends but when he starts talking about marrying you the first thing that occurs to me is not when he's going to take you away from m—from Forks."

"Wait, you want me to stay in Forks now? I thought you wanted me to experience the world? I've experienced this part of the world, believe me."

"You have an aunt in Canada."

"Whoa. No, wrong century."

"I just meant that if you really want to get out of here, you don't need to marry some guy because he's promising you all of these things."

"That's not why I'm marrying him, dad. I love him."

There, now I had told everyone except Aro. Even Jessica knew.

"You—" he stopped, probably trying to decide which thing was more upsetting, that I said I'd already decided to marry him or that I said I loved him.

"I'm going to have a good life," I said. I was trying to be reassuring but I didn't know how well I was doing. "Aro loves me." I think. "He's not going to hurt me." Except for that whole turning me into a vampire thing.

"You're eighteen, Bella. What do you know about love?"

"I'll be nineteen in two days. And what do you know about it?" I said cruelly.

He winced like I had punched him in the stomach and I'd never regretted saying anything so much. I was about to break down and hug him when the phone rang. He just stood there so I slipped by and picked it up. It was Jessica.

"Hey! Do you want to go into Port Angeles tomorrow?" she asked. She had on a bubbly voice but she sounded really tired.

"Uh, maybe, why?"

"Because I need a dress."

I recalled Alice's words about going shopping with Jessica the Saturday before my birthday. But this was the Saturday before my birthday, she was asking me to go on Sunday. Wait, Alice said if Jessica _asked_ me to go on the Saturday not asked me to _go_ on Saturday.

"Uh, yeah sure."

"Wow. I thought I'd have more trouble than that. You and the Count have a fight or something?"

"No, he's fine, we're fine. I'll tell you about it tomorrow."

"Cool. I'll pick you up at eleven."

"I think we should go earlier," I said, still eyeing Charlie, who seemed to be recovering from my revelations and my insensitivity.

"All right, ten."

I sighed. "Yeah that sounds good. See you."

"See you, bitch!"

She hung up. I stared at the phone for a minute. I wished she would stop calling me that. But I was grateful to Jessica for being my friend the last few months. We'd gotten strangely close. As she got further from high school, she got less silly and I started seeing a real person emerge, one I could definitely have moved to Seattle with if I weren't already going to Italy. Someday.

"I'm sorry, dad," I said. "I never expected this to happen, you know? He just showed up here and we met and . . . I know this looks crazy, but we're right together. I can't explain it to you."

I could tell he wasn't very moved by my lame little speech.

"Yeah. He did just show up here. That doesn't seem suspicious to you?"

"What, you think he just came to live with his sister so he could stalk this tiny town for a girl to seduce? There are better places than here for that."

"Don't joke, Bella. Something is off with him and you know it. Middle-aged men don't just come and live with their sisters for no reason. Something wacky happened wherever he was living before, I guarantee it."

I guess I had underestimated the depth of knowledge Charlie had of human behavior from his police work. I assumed that being the police chief in Forks was kind of a throwaway job and now I felt ashamed of it. Charlie wasn't a fool and he was closer to the truth—at least about Aro's motivation for coming here—than I would have ever gotten myself.

"He's not _middle-aged_, he's still in his thirties." His thirty hundreds. "And you're right, something happened. But I know about it so you can relax. He's not hiding anything from me."

"What's his last name again?"

"No. You are not running a background check on him." I wasn't even sure anything would come up. "He's doesn't even live in this country!"

"Well, we have ways of communicating with other countries."

"You're going to run an international background check on an innocent man for no reason other than he wants to marry your daughter? Don't you think that's going to sound crazy to the International Background-Checking Bureau?"

"They have daughters, too."

"Fine. It's Maida. M-A-I-D-A. But you won't find anything, because he hasn't _done_ anything."

Except eat thousands of people.

"I'm sorry, Bella. But I have to trust my instinct over your love-addled brain. Something is off with him and unless you let me check it out . . ."

"I know what you're talking about," I blurted. Oh. Crap.

"Oh?"

"He's . . . sick."

"Sick."

"Yes. He has a terminal illness." But I didn't sound very convincing because I really should have appeared more upset about the man I was supposedly in love with dying.

"Well, if you're going to tell me a lie like that, it must be something pretty bad."

Desperately I scrabbled around for something. I knew what I _could_ say but it wouldn't make Charlie like him any better. But he would like the truth a whole lot less . . .

"Okay, fine. He's . . . married."

"Yeah, that part was obvious already, Bella."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not hard to spot a cheating husband if you know what to look for. It would also explain why he's going after someone so much younger."

Rage was climbing up inside of me. I was just trying to make him feel better so he didn't worry and this is what I was getting back?

"It's not like that. They haven't been together for a long time. He's trying to find her so they can finalize their divorce."

"Find her?"

"He doesn't know where she is right now."

"So his wife is off somewhere hiding from him? That sounds like a safe bet. I'm completely relieved now."

"She's not _hiding_ from him," I said through my teeth but now I was seeing how bad this all sounded. Or maybe it was that bad and I just didn't see it. "They—don't you trust Dr. Cullen?"

"What does he have to do with it?"

"You've always liked him and he's known Aro for a really long time," a really, _really_ long time, "don't you think he would have stopped this if there was something bad about Aro?"

He looked like he didn't know how to answer but still wanted to argue.

"Aro hasn't done anything to make you suspect him, so I'm going to ask that until he does that you trust me and believe that things are as I say they are. Please?"

"The second something does—"

"You can haul him away to the Prison For Inappropriate Boyfriends. Now. I'm going to go upstairs and call him and let him know that, for now, he's not going there. I will ask you not to listen in out of respect for my adulthood and because you don't want to hear some of the things I intend to say to him. _About our honeymoon_." That was mean. But he kind of deserved it. And it would stop him from even thinking about picking up the other phone.

It was still early but I put on my pajamas anyway. I wasn't going anywhere after that.

I dialed Aro's number and it took him three rings to answer. Just enough to make nervous.

"Hello, my love," he said.

Love. He hadn't told me that he loved me either. That's why I was still waiting I think. I didn't want to look like the dumb, inexperienced one by saying it too soon and it felt like anytime before he said it was too soon somehow.

"Hi. So, Charlie isn't going to attempt kill you. But he also thinks you're an international criminal of some kind and I barely talked him out of a background check. And he knows you're married."

"That was a busy half hour for you," he said sympathetically. "You can let him run the background check if it makes him feel better. On paper in the human world I'm even more impressive than I am in person. Military service, a few small patents and some very large donations to several European children's hospitals. He'll be asking _me_ to marry _you._"

"Yeah, that's not going to happen. But it would be nice if he just didn't hate you. And stopped thinking you were hiding some great evil from me."

"Nope. Already told you all about it. His problem is his daughter's poor judgement, not my deception. So he thinks I'm a cheating rogue now does he?"

"I told him you and she weren't really together anymore and you didn't know where she was so that's why you weren't divorced but something about the way I said it made it sound like she was in hiding because you beat her."

He laughed loudly. "Me? Beat Sulpicia? That's hilarious. And I'm sure it was nothing you said, he's a police officer and a father, if he's decided not to like me, everything I do from now on will appear cloaked in darkness."

"Guess it's good you look so hot in the dark then."

"Do you honestly think about nothing else?"

"Before me met: No. Afterwards: Basically, yeah. I'm addicted to your sexy vampire pheromones. So if you don't want me following you around literally forever drooling on you, you should probably take this opportunity to skip town like the deadbeat Charlie thinks you are."

There was a pause.

"I told him not to listen in lest he hear me saying something dirty, don't worry. I know Charlie, he wouldn't dare."

"It's not that. I just feel bad about putting a wedge between you. I said I was going to do whatever I could to make you happy and already I'm failing."

"You are not failing in making me happy, I promise. Charlie will get past this as long as there aren't any more surprises. Maybe. Just act as normal as possible."

"I intend to become so boring you won't even be interested in me anymore."

"Yeah. I wish I hadn't brought up that married thing. I couldn't think of what else to say."

"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it."

"Okay," I said skeptically. "Just be careful about how you do it. He'd figured out a lot of things that surprised me just while he was outside."

"Oh, I doubt that. I'm pretty certain he's suspected us for a while. He's not stupid and we weren't very subtle. Well, you weren't, I should probably have an award of some kind."

"Coming to my bedroom to feel me up when you were supposed to be in the bathroom is subtle?"

"Well, I never got caught. It's the same thing."

I could hear him smiling. I wanted to see him so badly it was painful. "I miss you," I said. Then immediately felt lame.

"Would you like me to turn into a bat and come to your window?"

"Yeah. But be quiet, because Charlie is not in the mood f—" I was interrupted by a tapping sound. I looked up and he was hanging, casually, by one hand from the top of the window casing, holding a cell phone to his ear with the other. I hung up and unlatched the window. He kissed me as soon as the glass between us was gone, still dangling twenty feet from the ground.

"I can't turn into a bat. Sorry."

"I was joking. I didn't think you'd actually come here!"

"Oh, well, I can leave if you—"

I cut him off with another kiss and he allowed me to pull him in the window.

"I'm glad you did. Will you stay?"

"I don't think that's very safe."

"No, it's okay. Charlie never checks on me and he always knocks."

"He is not the one I'm afraid of," he said, gently removing my fingers from the buttons on his shirt. "I've been here less than a minute and you're already trying to undress me. I think we have some things to discuss. Which is why I really came over."

"Ug. All we do is _talk_." I flung myself back onto the bed dramatically.

"Just talk to me for a few minutes and then I promise I will kiss you until you cannot breathe before going home."

"It won't take much."

He made a humming noise and closed his eyes then shook his head as though to clear it before turning to me. I had moved back so I was propped on the pillows, my knees drawn up. I was fully aware that my night shirt was too short for this to be in any way modest. I saw his gaze flicker to my exposed underwear before staunchly pretending I wasn't half naked.

"It's time," he said.

"What? For what? You said we weren't going to . . ."

"Not for _that,_ Isabella. My goodness, girl. You've anticipated that so much I can't possibly do anything but disappoint you when it does happen. I'm talking about you turning."

"Oooooh. But what about Charlie? He only just found out. I thought we were going to let get him used to the idea of us before, you know, we leave."

"Is he going to 'get used to us' you think?"

"No. Probably not. It might be worse actually the longer he has to think about it."

"It sounds like we're more justified it moving quickly than waiting. As long as you're ready of course . . ."

"I'm ready," I said without hesitation.

He smiled. "You should probably see your mother."

"Yeah, about that. I was thinking that she might be able to visit in Italy sometime later. If I look kind of different she'll think it's just living in Europe and being all rich and snobby."

"Oh, so you think you're going to be spoiled, do you?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"You're probably right. You will have to win over Marcus and Caius I'm afraid. Marcus is a sweetheart, he'll be easy but Caius . . . he's a little prickly. Might take some delicate work."

"Well, good thing I have forever. I'll just accidentally knock him down a flight of stairs or something. Dudes love that."

"I'm sure you'll manage to find a way in spite of yourself."

"I'm really excited."

"So am I. What would to you like to do for your last human birthday?"

"Be with you."

"Wouldn't you like to see your friends?"

"Oh yeah, guess I should do that. I still want to see you though."

"I'm not trying to get rid of you, my dear. I will be there too."

"Wait. You already have something planned don't you?"

"So suspicious. Are you ready for the kissing part now?"

"You're trying to distract me."

"Well, I could just leave as well. I have plenty of other things to do . . ."

"Nice try." I slid over and climbed into his lap, straddling him. I gave him a look and tilted my head to the side, exposing my neck to him. He glanced at the door and then looked down at my bare legs and how my shirt had ridden up to the tops of my thighs and nervously asked if I had pants I could be wearing.

"Sorry, I burned them all."

"That's going to make for an awkward birthday if all of your friends are coming along."

"I'll buy some new ones tomorrow. Jessica is making me go to Port Angeles with her."

He was true to his promise to kiss me until I couldn't breath and I was right in my prediction that it wouldn't take long. Far too soon he moved me off of him and got up to leave.

"Soon, my sweet."

"Sigh."

"Call me when you get back from shopping."

"Sure."

"Monosyllabic now?"

"Yup."

"I'll miss you."

A thing I couldn't answer with one syllable without being rude.

"Cheat."

"You are really pretty you know."

"Thanks."

"You should marry me."

Well that was yes or no.

"Fine."

"What a lovely acceptance. I'm going to go record that in my diary."

"Cool."

"Goodnight, pretty girl."

"Night."

He kissed my forehead and disappeared out the window again.

Sweet.

* * *

END NOTES:

You may have noticed that I often leave the hyphen out of word combinations that should _technically_ have them. I do this with words I think should be considered single words because their common usage has more than justified their designation as a valid word. Ex. "douchebag", "airhead", "fuckface". That last one isn't in this story, I just like it. Also my iPhone autocorrects the word "douche" to "doucheface" now so I guess I've used that a few times as well. I don't think there is a standard grammatical agreement about the punctuation for "BS'ing" so I chose the one I like best.

Apparently there is a missing "to" in here somewhere and that could take a while to find. So instead of making you wait, I will post this now and fix it later. If I can find it.

/mostboringANever

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**Fave lines:** I was seriously laughing so hard about that Cheetos thing that I couldn't even tell my friend about it.

And then that fucking asshole thing Bella said about Charlie not knowing anything about love. Damn man. That exchange made me a little teary on the final edit.

* * *

**Unnamed Guest**: Thank you for loving that I am a dork who likes my own lines. I figure that, as a writer, if you don't enjoy your own work enough that you would love it as someone else's then you shouldn't be requesting that other people use their time reading it.

**Nina:** I'm fairly certain the first line of that review made me blush.

**01katie:** Your ASAFP makes me laugh.

**ladymoonscar**: It could have been worse. The concept for that dream was originally the epilogue. Because who kills the main character in the epilogue? Me. Because I am an asshole.

**Savysnape7**: I just love your reviews. They're so manic I'm forced to read them super fast in a really excited, shaky voice in my head. They just make me happy.

**psycho-doll-behind-you:** You came in late and reviewed _every chapter_. I love your fucking guts.

**Gigi:** My husband works at arguably the best genetics laboratory in the country. I'll see what I can do.


	11. Declined

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor any of its characters, settings or plot lines. I am not intending to pass off any part of the Twilight universe as my original work nor am I seeking to profit from this work. It is a fanwork intended only for the free (sometimes sexy) entertainment of other fans.**

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**WARNING:** **Disturbing thematic elements. Full content at bottom. **

AN~Okay, I have some bad news. **There are only two more chapters after this.** But including this one that's still almost another 27,000 words! More than half a NaNoWriMo novel! I believe I stated at the outset that this was a romantic comedy and as such it follows that pattern to the end which I hope will be satisfying enough for you. This was always just a love story and I intentionally side-lined the supernatural because of it. It's just a boy-meets-girl and the fact that boy is a vampire is relatively incidental in terms of their relationship. That's why Bella's all like, "Oh, you're a blood-thirsty, human-devouring monster? Whatevs. You're still hot. Let's make out some more . . ."

Now, this is my favorite chapter overall. It has my favorite scene in the whole story which is maybe my favorite thing I have ever written. Weird since I've been writing since I was eight. I won't tell you how old I am because I think it would unnerve you, just know it's been some years.

If you don't laugh until you pee your pants reading this, then I have failed and shall seek a new occupation immediately.

And you should cry a little bit as well. This chapter has it all, bitches! /channelingjessica

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**11**

Jessica was right on time. Which meant twenty minutes late for her. But she was extremely punctual in that regard as she was nearly always exactly twenty minutes late. I had moved from the couch in the living room to the stairs to wait for her after Charlie's disapproving glances had become annoying.

"I'm going," I shouted.

I didn't get an answer but I left anyway. Apparently I was getting a good old fashioned silent treatment now. I wasn't aware that that was actually done by anyone but disgruntled wives in bad sitcoms. I wondered if he'd checked on Aro and found out that he was super awesome and was mad that he wasn't a serial killer. Not in the way any human law enforcement would ever know about anyway.

Jessica looked sort of pale and was quiet all the way to Port Angeles. It was unusual but I was so preoccupied with everything that had happened that I didn't mind the chance to think about it all away from my house. Away from Forks. I had called her back last night after I hung up with Aro and filled her in on Charlie finding out. She asked the expected questions but there was an unusual flatness to her tone which had carried over into today.

"Do you want to eat first?" she asked dully as we drove into town.

Whoa. Every other time I'd gone shopping with her she'd shaken her head, exasperated when I suggested we eat beforehand, asking me if I wanted to be all fat and bloated before I tried on pants.

"Uh, sure. That's fine with me."

We went to the tiny pizza place Charlie and I had gone to that time back when Aro and I just started talking. I felt amused and embarrassed remembering how ridiculously I'd been acting that day.

Jessica went to the bathroom. When she came back and sat down at the table I had picked I handed her an empty plastic cup for soda. She took it, turned it over in her hands once and then burst into tears.

"Holy fuck, you're pregnant!"

An old lady at the next table gave us a dirty look but I ignored her. Jessica was nodding miserably.

"We only did it one time. And it wasn't even like I wasn't being careful. I was taking pills. I'm not stupid but I left them in that backpack I loaned you . . ."

"So I got you pregnant? Is that what you're saying?"

"No! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to sound that way. It was only one day, because I got them out when I was at your house and took the next dose. I thought it wouldn't matter. Apparently _it does_ so keep that in mind with Aro."

She never called him Aro. She had cycled through a series of nicknames before settling on "The Count" or sometimes "Mr. PastyFace" when she was feeling vindictive.

"I don't think that will be a problem," I said. Whoops.

"Why?" she asked, ready for gossip even in the midst of her own tragedy. "Is he sterile or something? I thought that didn't happen until you were older . . ."

"I don't think that ever happens for guys. There was some guy who had a kid when he was ninety-something. I just meant we're not having sex."

"Is he gay?"

"What? No. You and Mike have been together for years and you've only done it once. _He's_ not gay is he?"

"No. But it wasn't even with him so . . ."

"God, Jessica. Really?"

"Are you actually going to judge me for cheating, CheaterFace?"

"I didn't cheat. Nothing happened with Aro and me until Jacob broke up with me."

"Well, it wasn't for lack of trying."

"So who was it?"

"Jack."

"Jack? Jack who? Andrea's boyfriend Jack?" He was the only Jack I knew.

"Yup. Apparently Andrea does not put out despite how slutty she acts." I knew this was information Jessica would have been overjoyed to have at any other time.

"Wow. Well, that's really shitty. Does he know?"

"Nope."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know."

"Are you going to keep it?"

"I'm not going to have an abortion. I'm not going to judge anyone else but I just couldn't feel right about that, you know?"

"Sure."

Our pizza arrived then and I was surprised when Jessica took a piece and started eating it with carnivorous abandon.

"I totally thought you were going to run off and barf," I said.

"No. I mostly barf at night. It is not like they show in movies. For one thing, you're sick _all the time_ not just in the morning. But eating actually helps. I'm not supposed eat greasy food because it's supposed to make it worse but it's the thing only that actually helps. Everybody says ginger works but I threw up so much after eating ginger cookies I thought my eyes would pop out of my head."

I put down my pizza. That was three too many barfing references for me. We took most of the pizza in a box. I suggested we just go home and hang out at her house but she nixed that.

"No. I _have_ to take you shopping."

"Why? That's silly. You don't feel well and I hate shopping."

"Because Alice Cullen called me and _insisted_ I take you and make you 'buy a pretty dress' and that none of mine would work." I could tell Jessica was annoyed at Alice's supposed slight that none of her clothes were good enough.

So, Alice's "vision" was more her manipulating my life behind the scenes. I was both annoyed and impressed.

"Does this have to do with my birthday by any chance?"

"I don't know. She didn't tell me. I'm only your best friend, why should I know anything?"

Holy shit. She was. Jessica Stanley was my best friend. When did that happen?

"I'm sure it wasn't personal. I wasn't told anything either. You know more than me, I didn't even know I needed a pretty dress!"

She glared at me and turned the key in the ignition too far so it made a grinding sound.

"So they didn't like invite you anywhere or anything?" I fished.

"No. She did. I just can't know the location so I don't tell you and it stays a surprise."

"Well, to be fair, you would totally tell me."

"I'm_ supposed _to tell you so you don't show up with the wrong shoes and kill yourself on a set of stairs you didn't know about. They're so weird, it's like they don't even know how to interact with lesser humans."

Not lesser humans, Jess, just any humans.

"Welp, better get this over with then."

She drove a few blocks to a kind of rundown department store. There weren't a lot of choices here. As we got out of the car and crossed the street she said, "I can't believe he's throwing you a party." She sounded extremely bitter.

"You think Aro is behind this?"

"Are you and Alice Cullen suddenly besties?" She asked stopping right in the middle of the intersection.

She was right. Aro had to be behind this. I relaxed a little. I knew he wouldn't do anything that would make me too uncomfortable. I turned my head so she wouldn't see me smiling. Unless he thought it was funny, then he absolutely would. My smile vanished and I looked just as grumpy as Jessica when we went into the store. She perked up a little bit as we got to the dress section. With a kind of impressive speed and skill she pulled an armful of not terrible dresses out of a sea of ugliness. If she weren't knocked up with Jack the Lumberjack's baby and probably trapped in Forks for the next twenty years, I would suggest she become a personal shopper.

Even though we only had seven dresses, it took nearly two hours to get through them with the way she shopped, fiddling with my hair and pulling at certain bits and muttering about hemlines. It was the sixth dress I put on that stopped all of that dead. Even I knew it was right. It had a fitted bodice and a full knee-length skirt. It looked straight from the 50s. I didn't know if I was supposed to drink a cocktail or bake a pie. I would look really good doing either I guessed. It was red. Insanely, jaw-droppingly, boy-stoppingly red. And strapless. Charlie would shit a brick. It wasn't immodest though. He could have no complaints that wouldn't require him to say I looked too sexy.

"I'm going to come over tomorrow and put some frigging makeup on you!" Jessica said, stepping back from me proudly like she'd just finished carving me out of a slab of marble.

"Okay. But I don't even know when I'm going."

"Well, I'm going at seven so I'll be there before that."

"All right."

"Of course, I still don't know _where_ I'm going. _Alice_ is going to call me."

We talked a little more about her pregnancy on the way back. I suggested that adoption was a perfectly respectable option. She didn't say much to that but I hoped she was considering it. And I hoped I wouldn't have to sic my pet vampire on Andrea and her scumbag boyfriend.

The phone was ringing as I came in the door. Charlie was nowhere around. I answered it awkwardly around the dress which was poofy enough to really require more than one hand.

"Bella?"

Oh, goody. Renée. Praying this was a birthday call and not a panicked rant incited by a greatly elaborated story from Charlie about how I was dating the main character from Lolita I tried to begin as casual a conversation as possible.

"Hi, mom. How's Phil?"

"Why didn't you tell me you had a new boyfriend?" she demanded. She sounded more hurt than concerned.

"Okay. Look, it wasn't—it's really complicated. Well, not so much now that Charlie knows but—"

"Now that _Charlie_ knows? So he matters more than me now? Why is he finding out about this before me? What happened to when I knew things first?"

"Because he lives here and knows Aro. I never had a boyfriend before I moved here . . . and I told you about Jacob as soon as something happened."

"So when did things start happening with this Arron person?"

I could lie and say it was recent but that was sure to backfire.

"A few months."

"A few months!?"

"Yeah. And it's _Ah-ro_. His name is _Aro_."

"That's a weird name."

"Well he's not American."

"Where's he from?"

"He lives in Italy."

"He's Italian?" Now I heard a little interest in her voice.

"No, he's Greek actually, he just lives in Italy."

"Oh. Greeks are strange, honey. They smell . . . odd."

"Wow. That's really racist of you. And he doesn't smell odd. He smells . . . nice." So, so nice.

"Okay. Well, Charlie wouldn't tell me anything. He just said you had a boyfriend and he was worried and I should talk to you myself."

Great. Well, at least I could start from scratch without having to try to undo some awful thing Charlie had said. I should have known better than to think he's give anything but the bare details. Cop.

"Well, he's a little bit older than me."

"How much older? Like twenty-five?'

Oh, good. She thinks twenty-five is crazy. "He's thirty-nine."

"Twenty years is not 'a little bit', Isabella! No wonder Charlie was worried."

"Why?" I was getting angry now. "Why should it matter how old he is? I'm tired of hearing that. He's sweet and he loves me. I don't see why it's anyone's business in the first place. Jacob was younger than me and no one cared about that." I knew the two year difference between myself and Jacob and the two decades between me and Aro was reaching but it was what came out.

"It's just that older men have . . . different expectations, honey."

"If you're talking about sex you can relax, he hasn't pressured me to sleep with him. He's a perfect gentlemen." Unfortunately.

"Okay, well, it just seems like there can't be much of a future there, I mean, when you're forty he'll be _sixty, _Bella."

No, he won't. And I'll never be forty. We will be awkwardly different ages forevermore. Hooray. Because me waiting twenty years to change was hardly going to happen. And I didn't care.

"Are you done?" I asked impatiently.

"No. What does he do?"

"He drives me to work and tells me I'm pretty mostly."

"What does he do _for work,_ Bella." She sounded both amused and exasperated.

"He doesn't do anything. He's independently wealthy."

"Family money?"

I knew she was trying to figure out if he was a bratty rich kid.

"No, I think he invented some things when he was younger. He got lucky. His beginnings were definitely humble." Making cave paintings and beating dinosaurs to death with a club. I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"Well that's good. People who grew up with money are a little weird."

"That is an unfair generalization. Like Greek people being smelly. Maybe it's just Florida that's smelly."

"_I've been other places, Bella. _Remember when we lived together and I was actually a part of your life?"

I knew she was really agitated because she kept saying my name.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm a little defensive about Aro, I guess. Everyone has been attacking him and he hasn't done anything to deserve it."

"Well, I want a picture."

"Fine, I'll email you one. I need to go though."

"All right. Your birthday present is in the mail—oh, shi—it'll be in the mail tomorrow. I forgot the box—dammit."

"That's okay. I don't need anything."

"Well, you'll want this if you have a new boyfriend."

"That was the most ominous thing I've ever heard."

"Happy Birthday, sweetie."

"Thanks."

"I want that picture immediately."

"Going right now. You need to let me get off the phone first though."

I went up stairs after another minute and a half of trying to hung up. I laid the dress across my bed and went to my desk.

I realized I hadn't checked my email in a little while when I opened it and found seventy-five new messages waiting. Most were spam but there was a handful from Jacob as well. The last one more than a month ago.

I opened the first one:

_Bella. I'm really sorry. I just don't want you to get hurt. I won't call you. If you want to talk you can call me. I'll answer now, I promise. _

The next:

_I know you're mad and now I know how you felt when I wouldn't answer your calls. I'm sorry. _

There were about ten like that, all similar. Then the last one which was heartbreaking and short:

_If you really love him, I won't get in the way. _

_Jake_

It was the only one he'd signed. He was saying goodbye. My throat tightened but I didn't cry. I had done enough of that. I couldn't change things and crying wouldn't either.

I opened a new message and then scrolled through all of the pictures I had of Aro. I didn't realize I how many I had taken. To me, he looked perfect in all of them but I was looking with a mother's paranoid eye right now. The one I finally settled on turned out be one with Edward in it. He and Aro were playing chess. I had managed to catch one where they weren't blurry. They played entire games in under a minute. In this one, Edward was leaning on the table, looking morose as usual, his hair a giant mess like he'd put his head out a car window. And Aro was in profile, a very slight smile on his face, one of his pretty, slender hands was hovering over a piece in the center on the board. The important part was that the lighting made him look a lot less pale than he actually was and he looked utterly harmless. Sweet, quiet, artsy, European and definitely _not a vampire._ I sent the picture with no message and the subject line: Terrifying old man kidnapper.

Hopefully she thought that was funny. A response came back before I could get out of my chair:

_He's the one on the right?_

I smirked. Yes, Renée, My forty-year-old boyfriend is the forty-year-old man in the picture. Sorry to dash your hopes.

I answered:

_Yes. He's the one who is not a seventeen-year-old boy._

Another ding and:

_He has long hair. _

I sighed and opened a chat window.

**BellaS:** hey

**ReneeD:** he has long hair

**BellaS:** you said that

**ReneeD:** you didn't say he had long hair

**BellaS:** why would I? you asked for a picture

**ReneeD**: well you could have warned me

**BellaS:** I didn't know it would be traumatic

**BellaS:** next time I'll warn you about the hair of people you haven't met yet so you're prepared

**ReneeD:** very funny. he's just not what I expected. he's really skinny and pale

**BellaS:** were you expecting a fat old man with nasty skin?

**ReneeD:** I was expecting someone who looks different

**ReneeD:** his hair is very pretty. . . . . . .

**ReneeD:** are you sure he's straight?

**BellaS:** that's the second time I've been asked that today. YES. I'M SURE.

**ReneeD:** OK. calm down.

**ReneeD:** well I can see why you like him and charlie hates him . . . . . .

**BellaS:** oh?

**ReneeD:** he's mysterious

**BellaS:** is that why I like him or why dad hates him?

**ReneeD:** both. be careful okay? he looks like he could be a little TOO charming. that's dangerous.

**BellaS:** I will keep an eye out. the minute he's too dreamy, he's gone.

I could hear her sigh through the computer screen.

**ReneeD:** so who was that boy in the picture?

**BellaS:** edward. he's aro's nephew and no, gross. he's a jerk.

**ReneeD:** so he has family there?

**BellaS:** yeah. his sister is married to dr. cullen who works at the hospital.

**ReneeD:** the cullens are those weird people who moved in last year?

**BellaS:** last school year. they're not weird.

**ReneeD:** you said they were before

**BellaS:** okay fine. I didn't know them then. I shouldn't have said that.

**ReneeD:** why did you never mention this edward boy? he's your age you must have been in the same grade?

Subtle, Renée. I think she was seriously trying to hook me up with my boyfriend's fake nephew. Only she thought he was a _real_ nephew which was profoundly disturbing. I should tell her about how Edward is possessed by an overpowering desire to murder me . . .

**BellaS:** because there was nothing to tell. he's hated me from the day they moved here.

**ReneeD:** oh bella. you're being dramatic. he probably just likes you.

**BellaS:** stop. I can assure you edward cullen does not like me. we went on a date a long time ago and he was a jerk the whole time.

**ReneeD:** you went out? doesn't your friend feel weird about that?

**BellaS:** boyfriend. and no. it was one date. I find it a little weird that you're trying to hook me up with a guy I've told you is a jerk while ignoring my perfectly nice actual boyfriend who has been wonderful all along

**ReneeD:** I just don't want to see you hurt bella.

You and everyone else. You're all so thoughtful suddenly.

**BellaS:** well I'm fine. we're fine.

It took another ten minutes to get away from the chat. Ten minutes in which I was forced to tell her where we met, what his last name was, how long he waited to kiss me and if I thought he was wife-shopping.

It was about then that Charlie came home. I went downstairs cautiously. I wanted to not be fighting on my birthday and now was the time to make up.

We met in the kitchen and then stood there without saying anything for a long time. I didn't know what he was thinking but I was trying to come up with some way to say, "Sorry I was just a giant asshole to you after you discovered I was secretly making out with the dude you thought was your new besty." Maybe I should just say that . . .

"Look, Bella, I'm sorry about yesterday. That wasn't an easy thing to find out. I may have overreacted a little bit. I still don't like it, but I'm willing to accept it until I have reason to feel otherwise."

I hugged him. He was definitely caught off guard and patted me on the back the way you do with a dog at someone's house when you're trying to convince it not to jump in your lap. Only minus the revulsion.

"He's really great. You'll see."

"I'm not sure if I'm hoping you're right here. I don't want to see you get hurt but I'd also kind of like a reason to punch him in the face."

Oh God, I hope he never actually tries that.

"Anyway, Alice Cullen came by earlier."

"Oh yeah?" That's weird, she knew I was shopping.

"Yeah, I guess there's some kind of birthday event happening for you tomorrow?"

"I only found out today. I guess Ar—the Cullens have been planning something."

"Right. Well she invited me but I wanted to make sure you were okay with me being there."

"Yeah. Of course."

"Okay. Well, I'm not supposed to tell you anything else about it except that your ride will be here at seven fifteen."

"All right. I guess I should say that now that you know about Aro and since I don't care what everyone else thinks, he'll be there, I mean, we'll be there . . . together."

"I assumed. I said I'd accept it for now, Bella. I keep my promises."

"I'm glad you're coming."

"Yeah well, I love parties," he said with the kind of perfectly dull sarcasm that can be easily mistaken for sincerity.

Which reminded me of myself and made me realize just how much alike we were.

Which made me I realize how much I would miss him.

Charlie Swan.

Chief of Police of Forks, Washington.

My mother's first love.

My dad.

* * *

Jessica was early the next day, catching me in my pajamas. When I expressed my shock she said that she needed to get out of her house because she'd been barfing all day and thought her mom was starting to catch on.

"Charlie's gone, right?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Wonderful. I'll be in your bathroom."

Oh good, I hope she has puke breath when she's breathing in my face forcing makeup on me.

"Jess, you need anything?" I asked after twenty minutes of her not leaving the bathroom. I felt a little guilty now for thinking only about how her condition would effect me.

"Water."

I tapped on the door a minute later with the largest glass I could find full of water. She answered, looking distinctly roughed up.

"Can't they like, give you something for the nausea?"

I squinted at the smell coming from the bathroom. It didn't smell like barf. It smelled like straight bile which I knew from the one time I had food poisoning. It's not a smell you forget and you only start throwing up bile after everything else in your stomach is gone. She really had been puking all day.

"Sure, if I had my own health insurance or could afford the pills myself. I'm going to the free clinic for my prenatal check ups."

"How much are the pills?"

"I don't know. I never took the prescription in."

"Let me buy them. Unless they're like, eighty-billion dollars a month. And you should go to a real baby doctor."

She dashed into the other room and I thought she was going to throw up in there. I was about to tell her she went the wrong way when she reappeared with a crumpled piece of paper in her hands.

"This is the prescription. Can you go get it right now?"

"Oh, um, yeah."

The look on her face was too sad to refuse. I had never seen a person so desperate.

"Do you want to go?"

"No. The car makes me sick. Take my keys."

She handed me a key chain which was as long as my forearm with the numerous items hanging from it. Easy to find I guess.

"Okay. I'll be right back."

"Thanks, Bella. You're a good friend." And then she disappeared into the bathroom again.

Was I? I didn't feel like I was. I hadn't been a good friend to Jacob. But that was complicated. I grabbed my coat and went outside. It was just starting to rain when I parked in front of Chinook Pharmacy & Variety after circling the block exactly seventeen times looking for a spot.

Now it was time to have an uncomfortable conversation with whatever nerd was rattling pills in there today. I'm sure not all pharmacy technicians are nerds, but the ones here were straight up cliches of D&D-playing, mouth-breathing, socially-handicapped idiots.

The kid behind the counter looked at the heavily creased piece of paper I gave him.

"This was written three weeks ago."

"So?"

"So I have to call the doctor."

"Why?"

"Because . . . I do."

"Well. Now that that is cleared up, I need you to fill that right away so I can take that medication to my friend who is currently in my bathroom being held hostage by her own vomit. Thanks."

"Okay. I just need to call the doctor first."

I waited while he dialed a number painfully slow and then we both waited while he listened to the phone ring and ring and ring.

"They're not answering," he said totally unnecessarily.

"Okay. Well, I really don't think it's that big of a deal. It's just nausea medication. I'm not trying to buy whatever it is people make crack out of."

"That's meth you're thinking about. You make crack out of—"

"I don't care how you make crack!" I shouted and several people turned to look at me.

Then, blessedly, a person in a white coat appeared. He took the prescription and read it then handed it back.

"Fill it," he said.

"But—"

"Jeff, that's Chief Swan's daughter. I'm pretty certain she's trustworthy. And she's right, you can't make crack out of that stuff."

"Thanks," I said with an embarrassed smile.

"Are you billing insurance for this?" Jeff asked.

"Nope."

"Okay. That'll be a few minutes."

"Lovely."

I wandered around the store, impulse shopping. The "variety" part of the store included such amazing items as camouflage hats and cans of house paint. I picked up one labeled "Salmon Blush" and was tempted to pry the lid off to see what that color looked like but decided it wouldn't be a very nice time to spend the afternoon in the shower trying to scrub off what was undoubtedly a terrifying shade of peach and wisely replaced it. Jeff with was probably done by now. I'd been wandering for twenty minutes.

I went back to the counter and set down my armful of treasures to ring up along with the pills. Jeff eyed my purchases more judgmentally than I thought someone wearing a tie over a polo shirt should.

"Okay, that comes to one-ninety-seven."

"One-ninety-seven what?"

"Dollars."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No. The pills are a hundred and seventy dollars. And your other . . . stuff," he looked again at my collection of candy, ugly Forks souvenirs and two bottles of nail polish, "was—"

"Okay. I can add. Fine. Here." I handed him my bank card, hoping I had enough in there.

"Declined," he said two minutes later with a saccharine smile that made me pretty sure he was into seeing people in pain.

"Okay. Just the pills then."

"Still no. Do you want to try another card?"

"I'm wearing pajama pants in public, do I look like I have another card?" I snapped. "I need to use your phone."

"We don't usually let people—"

This guy would be the first person I'd eat if I changed here.

"Please?" I was too tired to fight. Bizarrely, this worked and I started to regret my shortness with Jeff until he chirped that politeness goes a long way while handing me the receiver. He asked me for the number, his fingers hovering over the keypad. I hopped up so I could sit on the counter and batted his hand away. He huffed but stepped back, probably afraid to sass me now that I had breached the safety of his ivory tower.

Aro answered on the second ring.

"Bella?"

"How did you know it was me?"

"You're the only person in Forks with this number."

"Oh." I was smiling goofily now, almost forgetting my purpose for calling until Jeff cleared his throat obviously behind me.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just need some money."

He chuckled. "Okay. And where exactly are you?"

"You don't care why I'm calling you up demanding money?"

"Not really. I'm fairly certain you are not a gold digger. Although, I should confess that if you _are_, I don't have a lot in my American bank accounts so if this is going to be more than a few million dollars I'm afraid you will have to call one of your other rich, handsome boyfriends."

"Why do you think I'm not a gold digger?"

"Because you would have had an eighty thousand dollar ring on your finger a month and a half ago if you were."

"_They make rings that cost eighty thousand dollars!? _Who the hell is buying those!?"

"You're cute."

Finally, after a lot of unnecessary throat clearing by _Jeff_, I gave him my location and hung up, still smiling hugely. I stayed on the counter, swinging my feet until Jeff finally shooed me down after five minutes of glaring proved ineffective which was right about when Aro arrived so it looked like I was just jumping down to greet him. Or fall into him. If he hadn't been there I would have tripped for sure. Jeff had already bagged all of my things so I didn't get the same treatment of my items from him as from Jeff.

When we went back outside he said, "So. Happy Birthday. Hope you like your present."

"What present?"

"Whatever is in that bag that's so important you needed me to come and buy it for you."

"Oh. Yeah, mostly it's Jessica's medication." I shook the pill bottle in my hand and then slipped it into my coat pocket. I was not going to risk losing a two hundred dollar bottle of pills.

"I see. Is she ill?"

"Sort of. She's knocked up. These are for nausea. Not sure why they're so expensive."

"She doesn't have insurance?"

"I think she's on her parents' insurance . . ."

"Ah. And they do not know of this apparently unplanned miracle of life?"

"No."

"A classic American tale."

"What? People don't get knocked up in other places?"

"No, it's not that it's just Americans teenagers are just sort of known for it. Abysmal birth control education here . . ."

"You get stranger all the time."

"Thank you."

"You're taking that as a compliment?"

"Did you mean it as an insult?"

"No."

"Okay then, shall we take Jessica her pills?"

"Oh, you don't need to take me, I have her car." I held up her massive key chain.

"Are you telling me I cannot come over?"

"I didn't say that. You can come back with me if you want."

"I do want. I haven't seen you since Saturday."

And there in front of the least sexy business in town, we had our first truly public kiss.

"Now that I'm allowed to do that in the open, it's probably a good thing we're going in separate cars," he said.

"Yup," I agreed and forced myself to drop my arms from around his neck and back away.

"See you soon," we said in unison.

Gross. It was a good thing we had an entire bottle of nausea medication because we were probably going to need to hand it out at my birthday party.

I tried to not drive off the road on the way back to my house because of watching his car in my rear-view mirror and I succeeded barely. We didn't say anything as we got out of our cars and walked into the house but as soon as the front door closed it was kind of a mutual attack of kissing and minor groping until I heard a small moan and remembered that I had gone out for a very specific purpose. I shook my head to clear it of the Aro kissing fog and hurried up to the bathroom.

She looked worse. Her face was sweaty and she was sitting with her back against the tub and her eyes closed.

"Hey, Jess. I've got your pills. They were crazy expensive so don't drop any."

"Okay. Thanks. I'll pay you back," she said without moving or opening her eyes.

"That's okay. Aro paid for them anyway."

"Why was he there?"

"Um. He's here actually. My card got declined so I had to call him to come and bail me out."

"He's here!?" She sat up straight.

"Yeah. Is that bad?"

"Well, I don't usually like to look like this when I meet people."

Normally I would say she was overreacting but she did look terrible. She tried to stand and slipped uselessly back to the floor again. Aro appeared next to me.

"Hello, Jessica," he said kindly.

"Hi. It's really nice to meet you," she said but it sounded more like, "When I'm better, I'm going to find a way to have the part of your brain removed that remembers seeing me this way . . ."

"Let me," he said and before I could stop him he'd stepped forward to help her stand. I couldn't very well shout no so I just had to watch while he suddenly absorbed every one of Jessica's thoughts. He looked at me with a very serious face for before saying, "She should see Carlisle."

"Your hands are _really_ cold," Jessica said and her voice sounded extremely wobbly.

"And _you_ have a very high fever, my dear. Can you walk?"

She tried and failed fairly spectacularly. Aro lifted her gracefully and we were going down the stairs a moment later. He placed her carefully in the backseat of his car then closed the door and turned to me.

"Your friend is very sick. She's been lying to you about what's going on with her," he said gravely and my fear of Jessica being mad at me for letting Aro see her like this turned to fear for her.

"What's wrong with her?" I couldn't keep the tremor out of my voice.

His face softened and he kissed my forehead. "Nothing which can't be fixed. She'll be okay. I didn't mean to scare you. Come on, we should get her to the hospital."

"Do we have to take her there? I mean, she doesn't want her parents to know . . . I thought you said we were taking her to Dr. Cullen."

"She needs some help beyond just her pregnancy. And he works at the hospital, sweetie."

"I thought you said she was lying about being—"

"Not about that. It's—we should just go. We can talk later."

I started to get in the passenger side and then climbed in the back instead and carefully laid Jessica's head in my lap, pulling her sweaty hair back from her face. Aro was right, she was hotter than I'd ever felt any person.

I kept my eyes on him as were drove. A few times he looked back and smiled reassuringly. It wasn't far away. Aro told me to stay when we got there and he went inside and came back with two people in scrubs who had a wheeled gurney. They lifted her from my lap to the gurney. I looked down at the pajamas I was still wearing and saw a nice damp sweat spot on my leg from her neck. Cool. I'll tell her all about this later and she'll feel better about looking bad in front of those guys wheeling her inside, one of which I was sure she would think was hot.

Aro opened the door next to me. He leaned down to speak to me. "I'm going to park the car. Do you want to go in with her now or ride along?"

I didn't think I could walk just yet. "I'll ride."

He closed my door and got back in the front. It took ten minutes to find parking and by then it was raining pretty hard. He held my hand as we dashed across the pavement. It was practical as well as sweet. When we reached the overhang of the emergency entrance we slowed to a walk. He was going toward the door but I stopped him. I was wearing sweaty and now rain-soaked pajamas and a really ugly coat and my hair was a wet, clumpy mess but still, I knew this was the time. It was the moment I had been waiting for that I wasn't sure I'd know when it came. But I did.

"Wait."

He turned back to me, a little confused.

"Aro, I love you."

He smiled. "That was unexpected."

"Really? Because you've spent the last hour being completely amazing."

"Just the last hour?"

"No. Pretty much every hour since we met."

He kissed me, like you would expect, but it wasn't some dreamy soft-focus perfume ad kiss because my hair was still wet and my clothes were still gross and it was still raining and Jessica was still sick and I was freezing but that made it all real. It was real. I wasn't living in some weird fantasy. It was real and messy and slightly embarrassing and it was still wonderful anyway.

He started to pull me inside again but I didn't move. He hadn't said it back. It _was_ too soon. He felt me hesitate and smiled again when he saw the confused and disappointed look on my face.

"Isabella, it isn't like that," he said gently. "You got your perfect moment, I should get mine as well. Then we'll have two."

Oh. It had never occurred to me that he was also just waiting for the exact right time to say it or that any one moment in the thousands of years he'd been alive already would matter at all. And not just a moment, but a moment with me.

And now I was about four hundred times more in love with him so hopefully that was his goal.

I allowed myself to be dragged inside where he stopped me in the corner of the waiting room before we approached the desk.

"I'm quite certain a doctor is going to come out here looking for you very soon so there are some things you need to know because it would creepy for me to know them and not you as you are her friend and I am a strange, older male."

"I don't think it's right for you to tell me things she didn't want me to know," I hesitated.

"She did want you to know. She just didn't feel safe telling you."

"How am I going to explain to her how I know though?"

"Hopefully you won't have to. You'll only be confirming things they already suspect I think at this point."

I swallowed. "Okay."

"Did you have any idea of the depth of her eating disorder?"

"I didn't know at all," I said.

"Well, she hid it very well. All you need to say is that you noticed it during your junior year at high school and that you have seen empty boxes of laxatives in her room."

"What?"

"It's quite common. And very dangerous, which is why you need to know about it so you can tell them and she can get the appropriate treatment quickly."

"Um, okay. All right. Is that all?"

"No. But this part is trickier. She told you Andrea's boyfriend was the father of her child?"

"You know she did." I took a breath. "So who is it actually?"

"It's who she said it was it just didn't happen like she said. That boy raped her. She's talked herself out of it because she knows him and he wasn't violent with her but she clearly said no. It's also very common."

"It's weird how much you know about teenagers."

"Not as weird as how much I know about giving birth."

"That's—um, yeah, okay. How does this help her though? I can't tell them that because there's no way I could know it."

"All you need to tell them is his name."

"So he's . . ."

"He has a reputation," Aro said delicately.

"And you know this from reading the minds of the whole town?"

"Just Carlisle. He works here, remember?"

Right. Okay.

Aro sat down and let me go to the window alone.

"Hi, I just brought my friend Jessica in."

"Last name?"

"Swan."

"_Her_ last name," the woman said but she wasn't being mean even though I could tell she thought I was an idiot.

"Oh. Stanley."

"Okay. The doctor wants to talk to you. He'll come out." She eyed Aro suspiciously. "Who is he?"

"Oh that's just my stalker. He's harmless."

But making a joke like that about someone as out-of-place as Aro during a situation like this involving a young girl was probably not the wisest. She glared at both of us and disappeared out the back of her booth.

"Trying to get me arrested, my love?" he asked, amused, when I sat down next to him.

"Sorry. I'm not very good with people."

"Well, try not to suggest to the doctor that I brought you both here in the trunk of my car, okay?"

He laced his fingers through mine and we waited. I was relieved to see Dr. Cullen when the doors finally did open. Now Aro could tell him. But he addressed me, casting a subtle glance at the woman at the desk.

"Hello, Bella. Not a very nice birthday surprise."

"No. Is she okay?"

"She will be. I have some questions for you." He was holding a clipboard and a pen. A very thick file was already attached to it. I felt a little sick. There was a lot more paperwork there than there should have been for one visit. "Have you noticed anything strange about her eating habits lately?"

"Um. Yeah. Well, actually it's been since high school. She—" and then I realized I _did_ know things about her eating habits that maybe should have told me what Aro just did long ago. I felt guilty tears rising and swallowed them. "She cuts her food up into these little pieces and then she doesn't eat all of it and she drinks a lot of water while she's eating. Mostly water, actually."

"Okay." He scribbled. "Anything else?"

I looked at Aro. "I found all of these empty laxative packages in her room one time."

"How many?"

"Five?" I realized that wasn't supposed to sound like a question but Aro just smiled at me and squeezed my hand.

"Okay. And you know why she's here I assume?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

"Don't you already know?"

"I can't volunteer that information to a non-family member," he said softly.

I slapped my hand over my face. I felt Aro's hand tighten on my other one a little bit.

"She's pregnant. And sick somehow. She said she's been throwing up a lot."

"Okay. And where has she been receiving prenatal care?"

"At the free clinic in Port Angeles. Oh, here—" I handed him the pill bottle which was still in my coat pocket but much wetter than it was a half hour ago. "That's probably got her doctor on it."

He examined the bottle. "Yes. That's very helpful. Thank you, Bella. I have one more question for you."

I squeezed Aro's hand now. "Okay."

"Do you you know who the father of Jessica's baby is?"

"Yes. It's Jack Fletcher."

If he knew information about Jack like Aro said he did, he did not betray it. "Okay, Bella. That's all I need to know now. Jessica is going to be okay. You can come see her tomorrow. I think you should go enjoy the rest of your birthday." I felt a strong desire to hug him. He was so nice, comforting. And pretty. Pretty people were nice to hug.

Aro rose as he left and whispered something. Dr. Cullen nodded and vanished.

"Why did you need me if you could just tell him?"

"I wasn't certain Carlisle would be her doctor."

"Oh, right. Well what did you tell him?"

"Things she_ didn't _want you to know."

"You know Jessica better than me."

"I know her better than her own mother. Who does not actually know her very well."

"That's also a common problem."

"Well, you have about two hours to go home and put on that pretty dress I saw in your room. And you should probably dry your hair. It's a little seaweedy," he said, lifting one of the strands.

"I don't know. I'm not sure I feel much like a party now."

"Well, if I know Jessica, I can tell you that if you cancelled the impressive things I have planned for you, she'd never forgive you. You need some things to tell her when you come visit tomorrow."

"You're right, she'd be pissed."

It had stopped raining but we held hands across the parking lot again anyway, this time for less practical and more disgusting reasons.

"So, explain to me how you didn't have enough money for a purchase of less than two hundred dollars when all you do is work and spend time me?"

"I like books . . ."

"That's a lot of books."

" . . . and candy."

"Are you saying you spend _all of your money _on books and candy?"

"Uh huh."

"That's adorably irresponsible of you."

"At least after I'm a vampire, I'll only be buying books . . ."

"You can buy more books after you've read all the ones we already own."

I gaped at him like he'd just said he was going to have my puppy put to sleep.

"Stop. You know you're going to get away with whatever you want. All I'm doing right now is enjoying the imaginary control I have over my life before you finally realize the full destructive power of your influence on me whereupon I will truly begin my existence as your defenseless slave."

"I told my mom that if you got too dreamy, I would get rid of you immediately so I think we have to break up now."

"You spoke with your mother about me?"

"Yup. She called yesterday."

"How did that go?"

"Okay. I sent her a picture and after she had a heart attack about your hair and asked if you were gay, she started trying to hook me up with Edward."

"Edward?"

"Oh, yeah, he was in the picture. It was one of you guys playing chess. You looked . . . normal in it."

"And why did you make a promise to dispose of me if I became too dreamy?"

"Because she said that you looked too charming and that was dangerous."

"Hmmm, she's right."

"She also said Greek people smell funny."

"She's right about that as well although I wouldn't have expected someone without vampire senses to notice such a thing."

"You're not offended by her stereotyping?"

"Not really, my bloodline ended with me so I have no relation to anyone in that country. I have no country."

I hadn't thought much about his mortal life. He'd said vampires usually forget their human lives almost entirely having only vague recollections if any. But he was old enough to have had a whole life as a mortal. With a family.

"So you didn't like have any children when you were human?"

He stopped walking.

"I'm not sure. I have a memory, that I can't even say is real for certain of a small girl with dark hair. She hugged me and I handed her a piece of fruit and she ran off with it. I think we were outside. I can't say whose child she was."

I hugged him impulsively as tightly as I could and he laughed and patted my back.

"It's quite all right. It's much more likely the girl was a cousin or one of my si—someone else's child," he said lightly but it sounded a little forced. He took my hand again and we were quiet the rest of the way to the car.

He stared at me for a long moment, smiling strangely once we were seated.

"What? Do you have more compliments about my hair?"

"No. You look lovely. As usual."

"Liar."

"I was just thinking that it's very sweet how nervous you were about our first date."

Ug. I was so worried about Jessica I hadn't even remembered that he was going to see everything I had ever said about him to her.

"So?" I said defensively.

"Aw. You don't need to be like that. I said it was sweet."

"You're making fun of me."

"Not really. I'm just glad it wasn't just me."

"Oh? Did you and Dr. Cullen have a slumber party about it?" I was feeling very grumpy suddenly.

"No. We don't sleep."

"Well you don't sleep at slumber parties. Seems like you should know that since you know everything else!"

"It's just a good thing you went to Jessica's that day is all. Not only because of how pretty you looked the next day."

"Thanks," I mumbled reluctantly. "Why is it a good thing?"

"Because she was intending to kill herself that afternoon until she heard from you. I think it's fairly safe to say your renewed friendship saved her life. Perhaps literally today."

Then he drove and let me cry quietly without interrupting me or telling me I shouldn't. I noticed it took a little longer than it should have to get to my house and I had mostly contained myself when we finally parked next to Charlie's cruiser.

"Go take a shower. I will be back soon and I expect you to look stunning and not smell like that terrifying pharmacy I rescued you from earlier. It's the least you can do to repay me for how wonderful I am."

"You are wonderful. I—" I cut myself off quickly. I was going to say it again but I didn't want to say it too much and be annoying. Especially since he hadn't even said it once.

He kissed me and I got out. Luckily it wasn't raining anymore. I wasn't even at the porch when the door opened. Charlie appeared and then rushed onto the steps at my appearance. He looked past me at Aro who waved mildly before driving away. I realized that it sort of looked like Aro had just dumped me. Well, he was going to disappointed then.

"Hey, Bells. What's going on?"

"We just got back from taking Jessica to the hospital."

"Oh, that's her car, of course."

Jess' little white two-door was still parked in front of the house. Mostly on the lawn actually I noticed. I had left it there when Aro followed me home. Guess I was a little preoccupied.

"Well, what was he doing here?"

"He doesn't have a name now? I called him to help me. And it's a good thing I did too because I wouldn't have known she needed to go to the hospital."

"And how did he know?"

Hmmm, what could I say here that wouldn't expose him as a mind-reading vampire or confirm to Charlie that he was more of an adult than I was . . .

"He worked as a nurse while he was in college."

"A nurse?"

"Yes, dad, a _nurse_. It's a title, not a gender assignment. I'm pretty sure he saved her life."

"What's wrong with her?"

"A lot of things apparently. She was throwing up and all sweaty. I'm going to see her tomorrow."

"Okay. Well, is the party cancelled?"

"No. Dr. Cullen said she'll be okay."

"Okay. I guess you'd better change then . . ." he said, checking out my damp and inappropriate outfit.

"Yeah. Are you still going?"

"I guess I don't have any excuse not to."

"That's really sweet of you."

"Happy Birthday."

"I love you, dad."

I left him standing, a little surprised, at the bottom of the stairs. Apparently I fucking love everybody today.

Except Jack Fletcher. I might stab that guy.

* * *

Writing that messenger conversation with the fucked up ellipses and crap grammar was incredibly painful. I was going to come up with more clever screen names until I realized that the initials of their last names combined with the colon made these awesome and completely appropriate emoticons. Because you know that when Renee found out her daughter was dating a guy who was older than she was her face did this: **D: **exactly. Also, Bella does not refer to her mom as "Renee" in the books, of course. I did it in mine because it sounds really awkward when there's dialogue involving all of them if she's calling mom "mom" and her dad "Charlie."

There is an exchange about slumber parties in here which contradicts an earlier conversation. Here it is suggested that Aro doesn't understand the function of a slumber party but in an earlier chapter he clearly does and makes a joke about it. I'm going to admit to being a lazy writer here and leaving it in because it would have been difficult (and probably felt forced) if I have written something new to fill that gap. Also, and maybe I haven't highlighted this enough in this story, _Aro is completely fucking insane_ and He has so much going on in his head that I would think his memory recall of superfluous types of information like this would be sketchy.

Aro hints about Didyme for the first time in this chapter saying that the girl in his memory could have been hers. It is unlikely that she had any children either as she was turned as she "had just reached adulthood" according to SM, which was at least a decade after Aro turned. It's most likely that the child in his memory was Didyme herself.

So, I like to keep things very real. That was difficult in this chapter as I have never had an eating disorder myself. Everything I know is from years of reading blogs and watching documentaries and talking to people who have had them. If I've said something inaccurate I just hope it wasn't also offensive.

The perfume ad thing I used in the "I love you" part is a reference to a Reddit comment where someone said that the BD2 love scene looked like a perfume ad. I don't know if it's appropriate to credit them by using their name on a third party site, but they have all the credit I can give.

The pharmacy scene, I can tell you now, is my favorite.

Also my husband just informed me he had a dream in which I made him make-out with the Aro from this story. So that's bizarre and hilarious. Guess he has a crush on Aro too after reading this. Hah!

* * *

_"He drives me to work and tells me I'm pretty mostly."_ Teehee.

* * *

**CONTENT GUIDE: Discussion of laxative abuse related to an eating disorder. Mention of acquaintance rape.**

* * *

**Gorron: **Thank you. I have a very untidy house is the answer to that riddle. Because on my death bed, I will never regret not cleaning my house more but I would would sorely regret never having finished this story.


	12. Officially

AN~I noticed in the final edit here that (although it happened unintentionally) Aro's speech becomes more casual and Bella's more formal in these final chapters after the two month jump. It makes sense that they would rub off on each other but it was interesting to discover something I had done without noticing it but which fit the story perfectly. #thingsonlyotherwritersgiveas hitabout

This is the longest chapter in the story. 13.4k by the ff count! And if you're not satisfied by the events of this chapter, then you're spoiled and there's no pleasing you.

But seriously, I love the fuck out of you guys and I hope you enjoy the final two chapters. (In case you weren't aware, the Fuck Measurement has been scientifically declared the greatest of all measurements.)

P.S. I say "fuck" a lot.

P.P.S. I was so absorbed in editing this that it took me more than a minute to register that my iPod had skipped to _My Heart Will Go On. _Hopefully you find this equally as mesmerizing.

P.P.P.S. You guys are abouts to discover my true love for sappy romantic dialogue!

* * *

**12**

I was ready and waiting long before seven fifteen. I'm sure Jessica would have been utterly exasperated with me, insisting that I not appear until at least seven twenty-five but even if I were that kind of girl, I wasn't about to leave Aro and Charlie alone for even a second so I came downstairs at seven ten to wait. I didn't want to be late but I also didn't want to give Charlie too much time to contemplate my outfit.

I had dug around in Jess' makeup until I found two items I recognized and knew how to operate: Mascara and lip gloss. But I got fancy with the shimmery mascara and tinted gloss at least. I was going to put on the red necklace she'd given me back when Aro and I first started talking but the dress didn't need it. It didn't need anything. I left my hair down.

Charlie found me sitting at the bottom of the stairs. He pushed the voluminous skirt of my dress aside so he could sit next to me. I gathered it into my lap in a bunch.

"I thought you were supposed to be there before me. Isn't that what 'surprise' parties are all about?"

"Yeah, well, I wanted to talk to you first."

"Okay. Am I going to get a birthday lecture?"

"Look, Bella, I'm not going to say I know what's best or how a person's life should go. And I'm not going to say anything more about your relationship because it won't matter and it will only make you resent me. I know you never really liked Jacob—"

"I liked Jacob."

"You liked him as a buddy. Not the way you—for some reason—like this Aro guy."

"I think it's weird that suddenly he's just some surprise stranger to you when you guys have literally spent days hanging out."

"He was just a guy then, not a guy dating my daughter. He's a stranger now because I don't know how he's going to treat you or if I can trust him."

"Okay. I guess that makes a sort of dad sense."

"Thank you. Now, like I said. I'm not going to tell you how to live but it seems like a lot of things have been set in motion already without my knowledge. He's made it pretty clear he's going to ask you to marry him and I know there's nothing I could say to convince you to say no so I'll just ask you to remember what happened with your mother and me. We weren't ready and she found herself in a life she didn't want. I don't regret it because of you but if we had stepped back a little I think we would have realized we weren't ready and things could have been different. For her."

Charlie just thought I might get stuck in a bad marriage or tied down with a kid. He'd said something similar on Saturday but not in the same way. For the first time his words made me realize just how serious my decision to be with Aro was. It wasn't like I could just get a divorce and move on. I'd be different. An immortal and if things suddenly turned ugly with us, I would be more alone than he could understand.

I didn't have time to respond because a knock on the door interrupted us. Charlie sighed and helped me up. He looked at my dress and told me I looked beautiful. He sounded so sad that a new guilt about what I was going to do to him filled me. By the time he opened the door I was about to turn and run back up the stairs and hide in my room. But then I saw Aro, standing on our porch, dressed in an entirely black, and I'm sure very expensive, suit and all of the negative feelings just vanished like there was a trap door under them and his arrival had tripped the latch sending them away forever.

There was a very long moment where we all just stood there without speaking. Aro and I were looking at each other and Charlie was glancing between us. He couldn't possibly have found anything to complain about in the way Aro reacted to my appearance. He was staring but he wasn't looking anywhere but my face. He had that look people have when they're holding their breath. Finally, he swallowed and said, "You look lovely, Isabella," putting his hand out to me.

As I passed Charlie he gave me a strange look that I thought had a farewell in it. He seemed to know that I wasn't his baby anymore. Leaving here with Aro tonight, I was leaving my time as his child and getting a new title. Maybe as the future wife of a man he mistrusted. I felt sorry for him for a moment but when I looked back at Aro, the brightness of my future obliterated my fears. I could say he would see how happy I was going to be but he wouldn't. I could send letters and pictures for a while until it became obvious that I was not aging as I should and then he would get a new letter, informing him of my death, or no letter at all ever again.

"Are you sad, my dear?" Aro asked as we walked to the car.

"I just feel a little like I'm abandoning him."

"I'm not going to force you to do anything," he turned me to him and lifted my chin so I was compelled to look into his face. "If you do not want the life we've talked about, I will not pressure you into it. And I will protect you from anyone who might think you know too much. You could carry on with your life unharmed."

"I could never carry on with the life I had."

"You could have a new life then. Jessica's offer for you to move to Seattle together is still open in her mind."

"And what would happen to you?"

"I would go home where I belong."

"I don't have a place I belong. Except, I thought, with you."

"I don't want you to think I'm trying to get rid of you. I just wouldn't be able to live with knowing I brought you along on something you didn't want or didn't understand or were not ready for."

"Can you be ready to become a vampire?"

"I don't suppose so. The most important question is if you'd want to do it aside from me . . ."

"I know I do. I've never been comfortable the way I am. I've always felt off. Maybe this is why. I'm not supposed to me a human."

"And if I were to leave would you go to some vampire you know and ask them to turn you?"

"I'd probably wait a little while, but yes, I think I would."

"So it's probably a good idea to wait now . . ."

"No."

"You can't get that time back, Isabella. You'll have as much time as you like with me."

"You were the one who said there wasn't any reason to wait. Why are you saying all of this? If you don't want to do it, you should say so, I've already decided."

"I only want you to be sure. Eternal regret is a difficult thing."

"Are you saying you regret becoming immortal?"

"No. I've simply made some mistakes which I have to live with. All of them after I was a vampire."

"Like what?" As I asked it I knew it was something I did not want to know about.

"You know, I don't think that's something I want to ruin your birthday with, actually. Let's get in the car, you're freezing."

Once we were inside I said, "Now I'll be thinking about it all night so my birthday is already ruined and you may as well say it because I'll be imagining all kinds of things worse than what you actually did."

"I hope you do not think so little of me as to guess my true crimes."

"Well, I know you've killed tons of people so I don't know what's worse than that. Do you eat babies?"

"No, I do not eat babies," he said, laughing for a second and then very serious again. "It's just that some deaths are more significant than others."

"Who did you kill? Jesus?"

He snorted. "The wiliest vampire who ever lived? I think not."

"Jesus was a vampire?"

"That is not a story for this night."

"Just tell me. Please."

"My younger sister."

He wasn't kidding about eternal regret because I've never heard any words sound as full of soul-crushing guilt as those did.

"Did you mean to?"

"Oh yes. And I covered it up from her husband."

"Was she a human?"

"No. I turned her, then she and Marcus were married some time after that."

"Marcus. And he doesn't know about it?"

"No. I check every once in a while. He does not know."

"Why did you do it?"

"Selfishness. Love of power."

"But you regret it."

"That doesn't erase the transgression."

"And you hang out with Marcus every day thinking about this? Sounds like you've served the longest prison sentence ever."

"You're very kind, Isabella but I don't want you brushing this aside. I'm a murderer. It was premeditated and it was some time before I regretted it. At first I was just happy I got my way." He put his hand over his mouth the way you do when you think you're going to throw up.

"Okay," I took a shaky breath before continuing. I think I was waiting to see if he was going to add to this. When he didn't I said, "So, you've 'murdered' tons of people on purpose—"

"—it is not the same. I kill humans to eat. Didyme was a vampire. A vampire I made. I thought she might be gifted so I turned her. I shouldn't have done it. My real regret is not killing her a second time, it's making her a vampire in the first place. She could have been perfectly happy as a human but instead I made her immortal and then Marcus fell in love with her. They were . . . unsettlingly happy and they were going to leave so I stopped them. The reason I'm telling you this is because I don't know that I wouldn't do the same thing again. I _feel_ different than I did before I left Volterra but once I go back, I don't know. So you need to know now that I am a _murderer_ not just a killer and I've loved power even more than my own family for most of my life. My position in Italy comes with darkness attached to it. You must know this. And know that, even though I intend to protect you, I don't know how things will be when we go back there. How _I_ will be. I don't think that I am 'evil' but I haven't been by any objective measurement what most would consider a 'good' man until now either."

"We don't have to live in Italy . . ."

"That's a simple solution to a complex problem. Merely leaving Italy would not erase my association with the Volturi. It may not even be safe. If certain vampires, who feel I have wronged them, were to discover my desertion, they would likely attempt to find and destroy me. And you as well if they knew of you."

"Oh. So we'll have to stay there forever?"

"I do not know, but for the current time, we would have to be near. I can promise you would be protected from everything there, only knowing as much as you want to but you would have also to accept that my activities and duties would most likely be upsetting to you."

"Why are you telling me all of this now?"

"Because I'm about to go meet all of your friends in the role of your fiance and I think you should have a last chance to back out right now by knowing about the most horrible thing I've ever done."

"Fiance? Is this you proposing really badly again?"

"No, I'm just giving you your ring now so you can make everyone you know uncomfortable and jealous at your party. I'll propose later when we stumble upon something romantic that looks like I've planned it."

"This is Forks. That could be a long time from now."

"Yes, well, at least you will already have your ring." He opened his hand revealing a very simple ring with a single red stone in it. It was simple but it was not ordinary. I wasn't even sure how it was made. The stone was large and flat, slightly oval and the band was silver but it had a thin layer of complicated-looking miniscule swirls laid over it, some of them just overlapping the stone, like someone had taken tiny strands of metal and placed them all individually into that pattern.

"I really hope that's not an eighty-thousand dollar ring."

"It was free actually."

"Did you get it out of a gumball machine?"

"No, that would have cost a quarter. I said free. It belonged to Oscar Wilde's wife. She gave it to me."

"I thought he was gay."

"He was, but back then you still had to have a wife at some point if you were a public figure. It didn't do him much good eventually but there you go."

"Why did she give it to you?"

"Because I'm handsome and charming. Are you going to actually wear it or should I take it back to the store?"

"I'll wear it." I was about to take it out of his hand but he closed his fingers around it with a tired sigh before I could.

"No sense of propriety. Give me your hand."

He put the ring on my finger and then flipped my hand and pressed a kiss to my palm.

"Hey it fits, that's lucky," I said when he released my hand.

"No, I picked it because it would fit you."

"What do you mean you 'picked it'?"

"Well I was going to give you one which belonged to Marie Antoinette but she had very large fingers. She was extremely chubby."

"Whoa. Really?"

"That's what happens when you sit around eating cake all day."

"Is that a joke?"

"Why would it be a joke? Tons of people do that now."

"Yes, but—nevermind. So you just have all of this stuff you've taken from famous people?"

"Taken? I prefer 'collected.'"

"What's the best thing you have?"

"The best thing I have is a thing you've never heard of and would most likely not care about but I do have something you would probably find impressive and which I will let you see someday if you are nice to me. That means no biting when you're a newborn."

He had started the car finally and we were driving on the highway toward the opposite end of town.

"What is it?"

"The real Mona Lisa."

"Meaning the one in the Louvre is a fake?"

"That's the implication."

"How did you get it?" I asked skeptically.

"I stole it, obviously."

"I don't believe it."

"You can look it up on the internet. In 1911 it was stolen from the Louvre and they were never quite sure if the one they got back was real. Because it wasn't, I have it," he said with a weird giggle.

"Art thief. So you_ do_ have a criminal record."

"I'm pretty sure that information isn't in your father's database. Also, I was never caught. Isabella, I'd prefer you not drop that ring out the window, Constance was a friend of mine, it's a little sentimental."

I had taken the ring off so I could look at it closer, holding it up as we passed under street lights.

"I'm not going to drop it. The window isn't even open it!"

"You'd find a way, I'm sure."

"This is engraved." In tiny, impossibly thin script were two words written on the inside curve of the band, opposite the stone: _Isabella Maida._ "You defaced a priceless historical artifact by carving my name in it before I'd even officially agreed to marry you?"

"It isn't your name. Your name is 'Swan'. If you don't agree to marry me, I'm sure there are plenty of other Isabellas in the world who would."

"You're insane."

"I hope you don't think that is an original assessment of me."

"So, where are we going?"

"To your party, of course."

"I hate you just a little bit right now."

"Well, that is because I have spoiled you so I guess I can forgive that. You were so sweet when we met. It was all adorable coffee accidents and delightful five-minute blushing spells."

"I was never sweet. I keep telling you you made that up."

"That may be true but you did used to be perfectly happy to just drive into the middle of nowhere with me and now it's not enough for me to be embarrassingly in love with you, you also have to know where we're _going_."

In love with me.

"This was the moment you picked?"

"See? Spoiled. And I could question the romanticism of yours as well. At the hospital? Really, Isabella? I said it would be perfect for me, not you."

"So why is this perfect?"

"Because this is how things will be. If I only feel like telling you I love you while we're on a boat in the middle of a lake then I probably don't love you the way I need to to put up with your impossibleness every day. I love you like this, telling me you hate me while I'm doing something nice for you. But if you need to make out next to an emergency room every once in a while I can accommodate that request if it makes you happy. Ah, here we are," he said slowing down and turning into a parking lot.

"This is the coffee shop."

"Astute."

"Wait we drove past here like three times, why didn't you stop?"

"Misdirection! Actually, the first time I missed it and then we were having a nice conversation. Why didn't _you_ ask why we were circling the highway?"

"I don't know, I was distracted. You actually missed it?"

"Yes, I made a mistake. It's possible."

He got out and came around to my door. He helped me out, which I sort of needed because my dress was so big. He walked me to the front of the shop. There were translucent white curtains obscuring the inside but I could see lights and people. He took my waist and turned me to face him.

"This is also where we met. And where I first saw you through this window and decided maybe there were reasons to continue living. You seem to have a knack for preventing suicide. People like you so much, they decide it's worth staying alive just to spend time with you. I don't know what would have happened if I had not met you but I can't imagine a better life than this one you've been unfairly dangling in front of me for months. I love you and I'd like if you would—officially—say you'll marry me. Is that romantic enough for you?"

I couldn't speak so I just nodded.

"Is that a yes you'll marry me or a yes it's romantic enough?"

"Both," I said, my voice cracking. I managed not to cry which was good since I was wearing eye makeup for once.

"Good, I really wasn't looking forward to finding someone else to wear that ring I ruined for you. When are you going to tell Charlie?"

"After we move to Italy?"

"I think they would like it if we got married here."

"At the coffee shop?"

"Yes, Isabella, a_t the coffee shop_, that's obviously what I meant," he said. "Although, maybe you'd like to see it before you decide that . . ."

"Um, I work here."

"No, you worked in a sixty-year-old brick shed with 'tables' in it. Now you work here," he opened the door for me and I was greeted by a mortifying wave of clapping as he pushed me ahead of him into what once was the dining room of a very suspect restaurant.

It was unrecognizable. Everything was new from the carpet to the light fixtures. It still looked like a diner but a bright, clean one whose menus didn't whisper 'salmonella' to you when you flipped through them.

"Why did you do this?"

"Because, I'm going to take away the best thing about Forks, I thought I should leave something nice behind in its place. I kind of owe this little restaurant."

I kissed him. Right in front of everyone. I don't know anyone who could have resisted doing it. Sherry came bouncing up out of nowhere just then. She looked about like she was going to kiss him too. I hoped she wouldn't and I had just enough time to warn him in a low voice that she grabs butts when she was on him, hugging him like he was a puppy she'd found outside in the rain.

We moved into the room. Sort of. There weren't really that many people but it was so small that it seemed crowded. And then suddenly we were being greeted, systematically by every person there, many of whom said that it was nice to "finally" meet Aro. So everybody but Charlie did know then. I felt a little like we were in a receiving line and after three minutes of hand shaking Aro was growing increasingly uncomfortable until I pulled him to the side to protect him from the onslaught of everyone in town's dirty laundry which they had no idea they were dumping into his lap when they shook his hand.

He looked a little shell-shocked which surprised me.

"I thought you'd be used to that," I whispered.

"It's usually not so many people at once," he said stiffly. And then, with a stunned look, "There are some unusually fucked up people in this town."

I had never heard him swear before, I covered my mouth, laughing and saw a flash out of the corner of my eye. I turned and found Angela, waving happily from the opposite corner. She started to make her way over to us and I said, "Please, don't shake her hand, you know enough about my friends."

"Happily."

She reached us, a huge smile on her face. "So you're Aro. Jessica said you—well, she's Jessica. Um, hi, I'm Angela."

"Lovely to meet you, Angela," he said, slipping his arms around my waist to avoid shaking her hand.

"Oh, wow, you have a really nice voice!" she blurted, then looked at me, horrified.

"Are you a photographer, Angela?" he asked, courteously distracting her from her embarrassing outburst, gesturing to the camera around her neck.

"Oh, yes. Well, sort of. I mean, I took pictures for the school paper. Not really a big deal. But I'm trying to get into an art school in Seattle. Probably won't make it. The tuition is crazy anyway," she said, a little out of breath.

"Oh, well, I know of a foundation which offers scholarships to art students who meet the financial need requirements and have been accepted into programs already."

"Really? That would be amazing!"

"I will leave the information with Bella for you."

"Okay, well, I better take some more pictures," she said, holding up her camera as an unnecessary prop and backing away. She was blushing bright pink now. It seemed that at last I found someone else who found Aro as stupefying as I did.

"Take is easy, Daddy Warbucks, I think you've won them over now."

"It's a real scholarship, my dear," he said. "Believe it or not, I do nice things even while you aren't looking. And I can't very well steal great art if it never gets made can I?"

"What else do you have?"

"Mostly a lot of paintings of naked ladies."

I scowled at him and he said it was time for cake. I told him I was going to force him to eat some of it and he just smiled and tugged me up to the new counter where a new cash register I was pretty sure you never had to punch sat on top of a clean sheet of glass that had black and white pictures of Forks in various stages of growth sandwiched under it.

Sherry emerged with a cake. I was relieved to see it wasn't insanely fancy. It was just white with blue ribbons as accents and a few small, yellow flowers.

"I thought it was going to be really expensive and terrifying," I admitted.

"Well you'd be surprised how much it costs to have someone make a cake this boring."

"No candles . . ."

"I figured having everyone staring at you when you arrived was torture enough," he said.

"They're staring at me now," I said. As soon as the cake arrived everyone in the room had turned to face us. "Did you tell them they're not going to sing."

"Yes."

"Then why are we up here?"

"Because I haven't given you my present yet."

He smirked at the look of horror on my face. "You'll like this, I promise."

He directed me to look outside and I saw that the curtains in the front window were open now. My truck was parked on the street in front of the store.

"You got my truck fixed! Thank you, I missed it."

"That's not the present."

There were people sitting in it. He pushed on my back gently pointing me to the door. I looked back. He was still standing by the counter, obviously not intending to come with me. The door was flung open just as I reached it and Renée was there with an ecstatic look on her face. Charlie was behind her, looking far from ecstatic. She attacked me and I realized that it had been a full year since we'd seen each other. I was grateful for the power of cake because people quickly turned from us and didn't see me crying. We fought our way to a booth in the corner and sat down.

"This is really beautiful," she said, looking around at the new interior.

"Yeah, it's nice. I had no idea he was doing this."

"It's very generous."

"He's really thoughtful. He likes to help people," I said trying to talk him up without being too obvious to Charlie who was glaring at the the table.

"Where is he?" she asked.

I glanced around and he seemed to have disappeared.

"Probably just giving us time to talk. Like I said, thoughtful."

Charlie shifted but didn't say anything.

"So, when did you get here?"

"I flew in this morning but of course, I had to drive down from Seattle and everything."

"You drove down here from Seattle?"

The disbelief in my voice must have been apparent because she glared at me for a minute before saying, "I _can_ drive, Isabella. But no, there was a car waiting for me."

Charlie breathed out heavily.

"You know, dad, you don't have to sit here if you're bored. You should go get some cake."

"Yeah. I think I'll do that." He got up and moved away but didn't go near the cake.

"He really doesn't like Aro does he?"

"Nope. And it's ridiculous because Aro has never been anything but amazing."

"Oh, well, honey, he's your dad. He'd be like that with any guy."

"He wasn't with Jacob. He _loved_ Jacob," I said frustrated.

"Well, he's known Jacob his whole life, honey. It's different."

"It's stupid," I insisted petulantly and put my head down on the table on my arms.

"That's a pretty ring, was that a birthday present?"

It looked nothing like an engagement ring. I could lie. But I didn't want to feel like I had to.

"Kind of," I said, covering it with my other hand.

She closed her eyes. "Charlie said on the way over here that he asked him not to."

"Well, it's really not his decision."

"It didn't seem unreasonable is all. You're so young and—"

"—he's _so old!_ Are we going to do this again? He's not even old, he's just 'old' compared to me."

"That's not what I was going to say, you don't need to jump down my throat here. I'm sorry if you've been getting feedback about this but it wasn't from me because_ I_ didn't know anything about it until now."

"I know. I'm sorry. I don't want to get into a fight with you."

"I don't either. And if it matters, _I _like him."

"Really? But you only just saw him."

"No, we met earlier. He's very sweet like you said but there _is_ something strange about him."

"Well there's something strange about me too."

"And he obviously likes you very much."

I glanced up and Aro was back, leaning against the wall, watching me from across the room. Renée followed my gaze and motioned him over. I could feel my heart beating irregularly as he approached like it was four months ago and he'd just walked in for the first time. He sat across from me. It was a circular booth so Renée was trapped between us. I was disappointed for a minute and then grateful when Charlie suddenly also reappeared. Aro smiled at me and I know I visibly melted a little bit. I scooted in so Charlie could sit next to me, pushing Renee around closer to Aro. She beamed at him and I cringed a little bit, involuntarily. She said she liked him but it would be insanely gross for her to have any sort of crush on him. Charlie must have been thinking the same thing because he cleared his throat awkwardly and looked like he regretted coming over. Aro smiled politely and then smirked at me.

"So, you're going to have the wedding here, then?" Charlie asked with a politeness so forced it sounded like he was acting in an after school special.

Aro smiled sweetly at me. I guess they'd talked.

Renée grabbed my hand like it was on fire and she was going to put it out. She turned the ring around on my finger bending it to see it from all angles until I told her she was hurting me and she let go.

"It's very pretty," she said to Aro with another too-bright smile.

"Yup. _Yours_ is too, mom," I said pointedly, reminding her that _she_ was married since Aro being my fiance wasn't enough of a deterrent apparently.

I was satisfied when I saw Charlie smile a little bit.

"It's a family piece," Aro said.

Just not _his_ family. I kept my face neutral somehow.

"And to answer your question, Charlie, yes, I think Forks is appropriate given that Esme is my only family and she lives here as well."

"Oh, I didn't realize you were orphans!" Renée said and I nearly laughed out of the utter ridiculousness of it.

"Mom, he's not an _orphan_. He's a grown man, lots of people have deceased parents."

"I actually don't know anything about them," he said. "Esme and I weren't raised by them."

Everything he said was true, but intentionally misleading. Renée looked stricken and even Charlie softened a bit. Funny how vagueness could be so convincing. People just added their own details. Right now Charlie was thinking Aro was raised in a state home and had deep-seated psychological problems and a juvenile record that would be worth checking and Renée was imagining a pair of adorable, pale, dark-haired sweethearts being tragically bounced around between foster homes until they were old enough to live on their own.

"Well, you seem very well-adjusted," she said, patting his arm.

I don't know how he didn't laugh but he just thanked her and turned his gaze to me.

"I thought Bella should pick the wedding day."

He only called me "Bella" when other people were around. It was nearly always "Isabella" when it was just us.

"We've already discussed November as a possibility."

Did we now?

"This November? That's soon . . ." Renée said slowly.

"I'm not pregnant," I said a little too loudly.

"Okay. Well, that's good to know. I wasn't really thinking about that but yeah, you should definitely wait a little while for anything like that . . ."

I knew she was thinking about herself, trapped in Forks with me clinging to her legs like a warm little manacle. She was also looking at Aro a little warily now. I guess in her creepy infatuation she hadn't ever considered the possibility that Aro either was now or was planning to have sex with me at some point. That seems to have shut that factory down thank God. Although it was weird since I had already told her we weren't having sex on the phone. Guess that was driven from her mind when she actually met him. That was understandable, he often made me forget things when I was around him. I decided to move on instead of telling her about how she was never going to have grandchildren.

"Yeah, November is a possibility. Can you get back for that? Does Phil have games or anything?"

"Uh, no, he doesn't. Not in November. But if you're going to do it that soon, I should probably stay and plan, you know. A wedding is a lot of work . . ."

Aro must have seen the look of abject horror on my face because he jumped in and said, "I'm certain my niece would love to confer with you on that."

Sic her on someone else. That's brilliant. Alice could plan the crap out of a wedding and I wouldn't have to do anything but slap on a dress and not mess up a few words.

Alice appeared suddenly like a genie popping out of a lamp. Renée loved her immediately, as though it were possible not to and they drifted away, chattering. Aro slid back into the booth, next to me now. I grinned at him stupidly and Charlie fidgeted.

"I have one final present for Bella," Aro said then. "So I hope that it's okay if I keep her out a little later."

"It's still early," Charlie responded uncomfortably. "And Bella is an adult. Your mom will be asleep by eight thirty anyway," he said, turning to me mid-speech.

Aro stood and offered his hand to me. I took it and stood next to him. We both waved to Charlie and went outside together, still holding hands.

"So was he mad that you didn't wait?"

"I did wait, two days. And it was exceedingly painful which is what I told him."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing. He probably just think I'm a homosexual like everyone else does."

"Except me."

"Hmmm, yes. And you don't really have any more evidence than anyone else. And I am Greek after all."

'What does that mean?"

"I means it wasn't such a huge deal when I lived. Where I lived."

"Are you saying that you were with guys when you were human?"

"I don't remember. I just don't see why it would be so shocking if I were."

"As long as you're not going to run off with some guy who's prettier than me, I don't care."

"What about if he's not prettier than you?"

"I wouldn't like that either."

"Would you be more upset if I left you for a man than a woman?"

"No. Definitely a woman."

"Hmmm, why is that?"

"I don't know. I don't have the same, um, stuff so I can't . . . do the same things to you . . . so that's, um. I really don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Okay. Well, I don't have any particular leanings that I am aware of so you can feel relatively assured that I will not be lured away by any willowy sirens with those masculine embellishments you're too bashful to discuss outright."

"You're the one using fancy language about it."

"Well I could have said, 'cock' but I assumed you wouldn't like that."

He was always so eloquent that hearing a word I had always thought was really dirty come out of his mouth was extra shocking. And he'd said 'fuck' already tonight. His sudden and unexpected use of vulgarity was exciting and embarrassing. When we reached the car he walked around to my side with me but didn't let me get in yet. He trapped me with his arms on either side of my shoulders and my back against the door.

"Did what I said upset you?"

I shook my head. I couldn't look at him though. He pressed his fingertips under my chin and made me look at him. I don't know exactly what my facial expression was but he smiled with a sort of wicked amusement I hadn't seen before.

"You liked it."

I tried to cover my face but he removed my hands gently.

"You don't need to be ashamed of what arouses you. I'm not interested in spending years of our marriage trying to talk you out of the preposterous sexual repression this puritanical country you were raised in has forced upon you so I'm going to simply request that you embrace your sexuality and allow me to explore it with you without unnecessary shame or limitations."

"I don't know . . . how to do that."

"All you have to do is be honest with me about what you like without fear that I will think poorly of you because I will not. Especially not after what I heard in there tonight. There was one thing that . . . I have never heard before."

The look of disturbed amazement on his face was so exaggerated that I laughed, breaking the uncomfortable tension that had increased throughout or conversation. It wasn't that I didn't want to do what he asked, I was just completely terrified of it.

He kissed me and I relaxed further. He took both of my hands in his, slipping his fingers between mine.

"Do you want me to tell you I love you, again?"

"Yes."

"I love you, Isabella."

"I love you."

"Of course you do, I'm astonishingly perfect."

He opened my door then and let me get in.

"So I get another present?" I asked when he was sitting next to me, the mood much lighter now.

"Unless you don't want one in which case I will take you home immediately."

"I don't know. What is it? It's not expensive is it?"

"You mean more expensive than remodeling a restaurant in a day?"

"That wasn't really for me though."

"I guess not. But at least I won't have to worry about you getting tetanus on a rusty nail in there anymore."

"It wasn't _that _bad."

We had pulled onto the street before I remembered my truck.

"Hey, what about my truck? I shouldn't just leave it there."

"Charlie drove it here."

"How much did it cost to fix it?"

"Nothing. Jacob did it."

"Jacob? Did you talk to him?"

"No, that was all Charlie."

"Did he know about this party?"

"I believe he did, yes."

"Oh."

"Don't be sad. This last present is the best one."

"Well it better be since the ring cost you _nothing_," I said in a fake spoiled voice.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be paying for that for a very long time."

"Well, I'm going to make up a crazy number for Jessica. It'll cheer her up. She was really sad when she found out our first date was driving around in a car."

"Yes, I know."

"Well, you should pretend not to, it's annoying."

"Okay. That lodge is a nice place actually. We could go there on our honeymoon."

"I do not want to honeymoon an hour from where I live."

"Very well."

"You know, technically, you haven't given me _anything_ for my birthday. I mean, you _had_ to give me a ring. And the diner is Sherry's. And the pills were Jessica's . . ."

"I assure you there will be no doubt about ownership involved with this next present. I also flew your mother out here. That was just for you."

"Yeah, and now she's a crazy wedding monster who's threatening to stay forever."

"I have given you a terrible birthday, I'm so sorry."

"I'm not really complaining, you know."

"I know." He took my hand and we were quiet until he stopped in the driveway of the Cullen's.

"Why are we here?"

"This is where you present is."

I was very nervous suddenly. Something was different. Something important. He took my hand and led me through the trees. I couldn't climb on his back due to the poofiness of my dress. He paused when we got to the door.

"I hope you did have a nice birthday."

"I did. I really was just joking. Everything was perfect. Except Jessica being in the ER of course."

"Well, we have a lot of birthdays ahead to perfect the technique."

"You still celebrate birthdays?"

"Sure, why not?"

"When is yours?"

"Yesterday."

"Aro!"

"What? You were busy and to everyone else I would have been turning forty. I think that number would have made Charlie even grumpier."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Are you ready?"

"I didn't know I was preparing for something."

He sighed and opened the door. There were candles everywhere. I went inside and turned around in a circle. They were literally everywhere. On every solid surface and in little clusters here and there on the floor. They were the only light but the were so many that I could clearly see Aro who was still in the doorway, watching me.

"It's pretty."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I do. But you don't need to do stuff like this for me, you know. I'm not one of those girls who expects silly romantic things."

He came inside and shut the door. "Maybe _I _like it, it's not always about you, spoiled brat."

I felt really shy suddenly and I wasn't sure where it was coming from. He was still just staring at me.

"Wait, isn't this kind of dangerous? What if we knock one over? Why would you bring me near hundreds of open flames? You could die!"

"You could also die if there were a fire."

"Yeah, but I'm not flammable! It's my birthday, I'm putting them out so I'm not thinking about accidentally murdering you every time I move."

He caught me before I could move, one arm slipping around my waist and the other pushing my hair back over my shoulder. He kissed my neck and I relaxed involuntarily.

"I like danger," he said against my skin and then picked me up and carried me down the hallway to the bedroom. There were candles in there as well. I surveyed the room quickly. There were no rose petals thank God but it was pretty obvious what was happening because there weren't any presents in sight either.

My heart gave away my realization before I could say anything.

"Only if you still want to," he said.

"I still want to. I just . . . wasn't expecting this."

"It doesn't have to be tonight. I'm just saying I'm willing to try now."

Instead of answering I stepped closer and kissed him. I wasn't quite sure I believed him still until he turned me and started to unzip my dress. I had just been trying so hard to get here I didn't think about what it would be like when I did. I didn't have any idea what I was doing. The only thing I could remember suddenly was an episode of Sex and the City I had seen where they talked about anal sex while smoking in the back of cab and I certainly hoped that wasn't going to be relevant. I was going to look stupid. I started to feel dizzy. He stopped unzipping and placed his hands on my waist.

"You heartbeat is a little panicked sounding. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. I just . . . realized I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

He put his arms around me from behind and drew me back against him.

"You can't do anything wrong. I promise. Especially not with me as you cannot hurt me."

"You mean—"

"No. Not a conversation for now. Do you want to undress yourself?"

"I liked what you were doing."

He pulled the zipper to the bottom and slid his hands around my bare waist under the fabric. I was used to how cold he was by now but it still made me gasp. His hands on my bare skin suddenly had new meaning. He pushed on the skirt and the dress slipped away and fell to the floor with a sound like a short, soft sigh. It wasn't the kind of dress you wore a bra with so now I was basically naked already. I stepped out of my shoes and turned to face him. My arms went up automatically to cover my chest. I didn't know where all the brazen throwing myself at him had gone to but I suddenly felt extremely demure.

"You should get in the bed before you get too cold," he said nicely, giving me a way to get out of being exposed more than I was comfortable with without feeling awkward.

I started to watch him as he undressed. I hadn't seen any more of him yet than I'd seen that day when it stormed. I became a coward though when he started to undo his belt and closed my eyes until I felt him next to me, cooling the sheets I had just started to warm.

I forced myself to open my eyes. He looked very calm and thankfully, patient.

"Your heart is going a little wacky again, my love. We can stop at any time, you know. Don't think that because you said yes that you said yes to everything. We can stop at _any_ moment, do you understand?"

I nodded.

"I'm just going to kiss you, okay? If you feel okay after that we can move on. We're going to go slow."

But he didn't need to stop and question me anymore after that. I got a little braver and made it clear that I wanted to keep going. When I started to get nervous I reminded myself that he'd told me he loved me when I was just being me and being with him and it made me feel safe. But I imagined even I could hear my heartbeat once we finally got to the crucial moment because it was beating so hard. He reminded me we could stop at any time and that I was to tell him immediately if he was hurting me.

As it was, I had to talk him into continuing because I couldn't stop a small "ow" from slipping out right at the start. After that we did all right. I wasn't really sure how long it was supposed to last. In movies they'd fade out at the beginning or cut in to the end. What was supposed to happen in between then was a relative mystery.

He was handling me with this delicate caution that was nearly painful. Only his kisses which we had had plenty of practice perfecting were more adequately firm. My nerves flared a few times when I was reminded that I didn't know what I was doing although he didn't seem to be expecting me to perform in any way. The silence, filled only by our breathing, was making me a little self-conscious. I didn't know if I was expected to be making sounds of any kind. Obscene pornographic screaming hardly seemed appropriate but I was afraid any sort of noise would sound silly or make him think he was hurting me so I tried to convey that I was enjoying myself non-verbally with kissing and touching. He asked if I was okay after a short time and I became even _more_ paranoid that I was supposed to be making sounds and wasn't because I didn't know what the hell kinds of sounds were the right ones to make.

It was a while later, I wasn't sure how long that he stopped his already terribly slow movements and asked sort of timidly if I would be offended if he didn't finish.

"Why?"

"This was fine but I'm concerned I wouldn't have the same control if I let myself go that far."

"I know that. I mean, why would you think I would be offended?"

"Some women would think it was a matter of attraction or their own skill . . ."

Oh. Well I wasn't thinking that until he_ said it._ He hadn't made any noise either. Maybe he was bored! _Oh God . . ._

He must have been able to tell I was panicking because he soothed me gently by kissing my face and neck before saying, "I only told you that so you would know that it _isn't_ that. Rather the opposite. This was . . . perfect. I don't want to spoil it by risking injury to you. And we don't have to stop just yet if you don't want to. Now that I have a better idea of how far we can go with this, we can do a little more . . ."

He smiled slightly showing his teeth for just a second. I wasn't sure if he knew the effect this smile always had on me and that's why he'd done it but if he hadn't before, he got a lot better idea right then because my back arched dramatically making my head fall back and exposing my throat to him in very suggestive way. He had been holding his weight off of me so this also caused more direct contact between our bodies than at any point before. He gave a startled moan and I heard a faint series of popping noises next to my ear. I turned my head and saw him lift his hand away from the mattress. There were five neat holes there from where his fingers had punched through the sheet into the foam underneath.

I started giggling and he smiled again, tapping his index finger on his lower lip.

"I suppose it's a good thing I didn't give that linens store gift card away to that pretty girl I was trying to trick into falling in love with me."

"Wait, I thought that was a joke . . ."

"No, I really did find it . . . in my pocket."

_Alice! _

We both thought it at the same time but I didn't want to say it and apparently neither did he. Instead we laughed. Like we always did and I realized that _this_ is how it was supposed to be anyway. I had never heard anyone talk about laughing during sex before but I knew then that it didn't matter what other people did. Being very serious had felt wrong. Probably because it didn't feel like being with the person I loved. Because _he_ makes me laugh and laughing had reminded me of that and erased my anxiety completely. It was just _us_ now and I knew I couldn't do anything wrong after that. And even if I did, we would just laugh. And it would be okay.

He started kissing me again and I got to experience what he meant by 'a little more.' It felt like _a lot_ more and I forgot quickly about not making noise because I didn't want to make the _wrong_ noise and focused on trying not to make _too much_ noise of any kind as the benefits of being with a guy who had three thousand years of sexual experience and the ability to read women's minds in bed became very apparent.

I hadn't expected to have an orgasm because I did know that girls generally don't their first time so I was surprised when anything happened. It wasn't an earth-moving event or even what would probably be considered a climax by the standard definition, he was still being just a little too cautious for anything like that but it was nice and just right because I remained in control of myself and didn't do anything potentially embarrassing. I finally did utter a few much louder sounds including his name once and he didn't appear put off by any of it so I thought I had done all right.

He questioned me gently about it afterwards.

"That made things a little more precarious for me, I'll admit. Hearing you sound that way because of something I was doing to you was almost too much. Especially when you . . . said my name like that."

He actually looked a little shy when he said this and I loved him so much at that moment that I was filled with a sudden and profound fear that the rest of my life would be dreary compared to it.

As the candles burned down, the light in the room dimmed steadily until it was just a wavering glow. Just enough to see his face as he spoke and laughed and smiled at me. His skin had warmed a little after being next to mine for so long and I was grateful that he didn't insist there be blankets between us as he often did even while we were fully clothed.

He'd said he wanted me to be honest so I asked a question I was pretty sure I would have been to embarrassed to ask even yesterday.

"So, I don't really understand. I thought it like hurt for guys to you know, not finish . . ."

"It isn't really the same for immortals. I mean, I would certainly have _preferred_ to but I won't be in any pain or inordinate physical discomfort. Just the mental discomfort of thinking about this every second I'm awake which is _always_ so, you know . . ."

"You're really . . . sophisticated"

"Why thank you."

"And dorky. Really, really dorky at the same time."

"Forgive me if I don't thank you for that part."

"But it makes you unique. There isn't anyone else like you. I love it. I love you."

"You love me because I am in your words a 'sophisticated dork'?"

"Well, that's not the only reason."

He sighed dramatically. "All right, if you're going to insist on listing them, I will consent to listen quietly."

"Whatever, you couldn't be quiet. You think you're so funny all the time you'd just keep interrupting me and we'd be here for a week."

"Are there that many reasons?"

"There's probably only about three days' worth but with all the interrupting . . ."

"I won't I promise."

"Let's see . . . I love how you always keep your promises . . ."

He smiled but kept his mouth shut.

"And I love how you're totally going to let me spend the night."

He sighed again, for real this time, and looked at the ceiling.

"Naked."

He had apparently decided to just ignore me because he had his eyes closed and didn't move.

"I love to feel your hands on my skin."

I ran my fingers down his arm and he didn't react.

"And I love the way you kiss me . . ."

I pressed my lips to his shoulder and then his neck. When I got to his face I paused, waiting, he remained still until I kissed him and then he flipped me onto my back and pinned my hands above my head, pulling away from our kiss just far enough that I couldn't reach him the way he was holding me.

"Do you love anything that doesn't have to do with your libido, Miss Swan? Because we should actually work that out if we're going to marry. Even vampire sex gets less exciting over time . . ."

"So I can't say that I love what you're doing right now."

"You can. It just might make me think you only want me for my body."

"Well, it's a nice body."

"Thank you. Now, you may continue to tell me how wonderful I am as soon as you're ready."

"Are you going to hold me like this while I do it?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm. Okay. I love that you liked me so much you were never going to talk to me because you knew it wouldn't be safe."

He gave me a short, soft kiss. A reward system. Interesting.

"I love that in public you're cheerful and even a little arrogant but that you're really sweet and quiet with me."

He placed three kisses along my jaw.

"I love that you care if Charlie likes you even though we'll never see him again after I change."

His smile was sad, I knew, for me and he kissed my forehead this time.

"I love that you know how awful people really are and yet you're kind to everyone."

He tucked his face into the space between my neck and shoulder and made a content sound.

"I love your voice."

A hum.

"And your words."

A sigh.

"And your butt."

He lifted his head to look at me with affectionate reproach.

"What? It's a really nice butt. Sherry was right."

"Oh God, that woman has a very filthy mind."

"Yeah, we know."

"No. You don't. But you'll thank me for never telling you."

"Thank you."

"So, I sound like I'm pretty spectacular with all those intriguing qualities and what is apparently a very renowned posterior. It's no wonder you love me. I'm irresistible."

"And very insecure."

"You keep saying that and really don't know where it's coming from."

"You are. You have this very intimidating persona for everyone. You're that rich European guy to everyone in town. And you're this honorable suitor to my father. And you're the scary Volturi ruler to other vampires. And with me you're _insanely_ charming and witty and romantic. And it isn't that you're _not_ all of those things, I just think you maybe made yourself into those things because you're afraid you're lacking somehow."

"Lacking?"

"You think you're not good enough. I feel like maybe you're afraid I wouldn't love you, that nobody would, if you weren't being amazing constantly but that's silly because I loved you before I knew any of those things. You didn't have to prove you were amazing, I just knew right when I saw you."

He released my hands and took my face, kissing me slightly aggressively.

"Any chance you'd like to become a vampire tonight?" he asked and he only sort of sounded like he was joking.

"Why?"

"Because I'd just really, really like to make love to you and I'd really, really like to not worry about being excessively gentle when I do it. In fact, I really need to not be doing this whole laying on you naked thing right now."

"Doesn't it take days though?"

He sighed heavily, falling onto his back next to me. "Yes."

"You always say we'll have lots of time."

"I know. We will. I'm sorry. You just . . . you _actually_ love me don't you?"

"Did you think I was lying to get into your pants?"

"No, but I think part of me was afraid I had just talked you into it and then one day you'd realize I was just a sort of annoying weirdo with really nice hair and you'd leave . . ."

"You were afraid you _talked me into_ being in love with you? You really think a lot of yourself for someone who thinks no one likes them."

He kissed me again. "Je t'aime à la folie."

"Is that French?"

"Yes."

"I love you?"

"I love you to the point of insanity."

"Well, you do seem crazy."

"Io sono pazzo di_ te_."

" . . . Italian?"

"I am crazy for _you_."

"Well, Ich bin hungrig für Katzen."

"Was that intended to be affectionate?"

"I don't know. What did I say?"

"That you were hungry for cats. I think. You have a terrible German accent."

"Gracias!"

"And a terrible Spanish one as well."

"But a really good American one!"

"Something to be proud of I'm sure."

"Are you going to go all snooty European on me now?"

"That depends, do you find snooty Europeans incredibly sexy?"

"Meh. So how many languages _do_ you know?"

"Three hundred and fourteen. But thirty-five of those are extinct and another seventeen have no written form and no official name, then twenty are only used academically, so for practical purposes, two hundred and forty-two."

"I . . . didn't know there were that many languages," I said feeling vastly stupid.

"There are actually about 7,000 languages currently spoken in the world."

"You're not going to make me learn all of them are you?"

"No. But it would be useful for you to learn Italian at least. Caius would rather have his teeth pulled out than have to speak English unnecessarily. And you know a word already!"

"Hah! If you think I remember anything you just said, teaching me a new language will be a frustrating process for you."

"Oh, I'm not going to teach you myself, I would strangle you before we got past the alphabet and it doesn't even have as many letters as yours. And I wasn't talking about what I said just now. I meant your name, 'Bella', it means 'beautiful' you know."

"Yeah. I know. It's stupid."

"So it would annoy you if I called you, 'Bella Bella', then?"

"Yes. Extremely."

"That's very useful information, thank you."

"I am actually kind of hungry. Not for cats though."

"I'm not surprised. You haven't eaten anything all day. That was negligent of me, I'm sorry. Come on, little human, let's get you some food."

"Nothing is open except fast food now," I said, fishing around under the covers for my underwear.

"I think you're looking for these," he said. He had them, dangling from one of his hands.

"Give them to me," I put out my hand. He didn't move. "Please?"

"No, I think I will keep them."

"That's pervy."

"No. It isn't. It's perfectly normal. Everyone likes panties. Trust me, there isn't a man on the planet that wouldn't like having a pretty girl's underwear in his pocket."

"You're going to keep them in your pocket?" I was slightly appalled.

"Well, not forever. But I think I've earned the the privilege of doing it while I take you out in public without them."

"But I'm wearing a skirt!"

"Which is in no way short or otherwise revealing. No one but you will know and when _you_ remember you'll also remember that _I_ have your underwear. It's fun, Isabella."

I wasn't sure about the fun part but I let it go. He helped me zip my dress and I went into the only-ever-used-by-me-bathroom to make sure I didn't look as tousled as I felt. My hair was a little messier but nothing too revealing. I went back into the bedroom to find him dressed again but in more casual clothing than the suit he had on before.

"Oh great, now I look like I got stood up for the prom and you're buying me pity food."

"You have very elaborate ideas about people's perceptions of us."

He carried me back to the car but not on his back. When he set me on my feet a little gust of wind pulled at the edge of my skirt and I stiffened, a shiver went up my spine.

"Cold?" he asked, with an annoyingly smug look on his face.

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

"Aro?" Alice's musical little voice came from behind me, making me jump. She was on the porch, looking down at us.

"Oh, hello, Alice. What can I do for you?"

"There's . . . someone here to see you." She sounded nervous.

Aro smiled reassuringly and took my hand. We followed Alice inside the house. We went as far as the living room before Aro stopped us.

"She's in Carlisle's office," Alice said. She looked at me sadly.

"Well, you can tell her where I am then. If she came this far to see me, she can come a little further. If you would please, my dear Alice. And I am sorry."

"Uh, sure." I had never seen Alice flustered before. Why was Aro apologizing?

Like they were on the set of a play, exiting and entering at calculated times, Edward came into the room as soon as Alice was gone. Oh no, not Edward! Don't think about it, Aro! Please!

He looked at us completely neutrally for a minute and just when I was about to relax I saw his eyes drop to Aro's pants pocket. Wonderful. But he didn't fly into one of his silly rages. He looked intensely uncomfortable and kept running his hand through his already insanely messy hair. Maybe this _was_ fun. I felt a big, dorky smile start to climb my face but it was immediately shut down by the appearance of the next person to enter the room. Vampire. She was obviously a vampire and I had never seen anything like her in my life. She was tall already but was wearing neck-break height heels which made her seem like a person cut out of the screen in a movie theater and allowed to walk around. This impression was strengthened by the fact that she looked like a concentrated version of classic Hollywood bombshells. Except that she was terrifying and reminded me more of Jadis of Charn from the Narnia books than Marilyn Monroe. She was wearing a bright red cocktail dress which should have clashed horribly with her hair which was also red and her eyes yet another shade of crimson but it did not. She was stunning.

Edward stuttered something I couldn't understand and left quickly. He totally had a crush on her! That was kind of cute. It was good to know he was a person.

"Hello, Aro," the red-headed vampire said smoothly. Her voice was as beautiful and as frightening as she was.

"Sulpicia," he said. He sounded utterly composed but his hand tightened on mine just barely.

"I see you've taken to deflowering . . ." she said so politely you'd think she was complimenting his outfit rather than making a very rude allusion to our sexual relationship.

Aro said nothing. My face did though. It turned what I imagine was a color that matched one of the four shades of red she and I shared between us with her features and our dresses.

"Dear God, I was joking_._ I merely meant that she was _young._ And human as well as this time. That's pretty disgusting even for you, Aro."

This time? I felt a creeping sensation of extreme cold start at my head and move down my body in a sickening wave like when you step out of a swimming pool and the air hits your wet skin, turning the moisture to ice water instantly.

"I wouldn't talk to me about virgins, _Erzebet_," he replied sedately. "Caius is still upset about that."

"Oh, I could snap Caius in half with my eyes closed," she said dismissively.

I hadn't met Caius yet, but I believed her.

"Constance's ring! Really." Now she sounded a little pissed. "I'm your 'fiance's' wife, dear, in case you hadn't caught on yet," she said addressing me for the first time. I knew who she was already obviously but I shrank back behind Aro a little.

"A title you have only ever used for your own convenience," Aro said. He sounded much colder now.

"Doesn't make it less of a reality, Aro. Now, are you going to introduce me to the latest unfortunate girl you've seduced? Oh, yes, sweetie, you're far from being the first. But I can see by your face you sure thought you were. Poor baby. He's a very convincing_ liar,_ isn't he? So adorable you just believe anything he says! _They_ all did too so don't feel too badly. So many I can't even remember for sure but let's see, there was Caroline in 1780 I think it was and Emily in whatever year it was that blimp exploded and um, Ashley? No, the name wasn't invented yet . . . _Elissa_—"

"Sulpicia! Do you actually need something or are did you just come here to terrorize everyone in Forks for reasons that could only possibly make sense inside of your uniquely sadistic little mind?" He actually sounded angry but I barely registered it. He wasn't contradicting her. I was pretty sure I was going to faint. I hadn't done that in a few weeks. I probably would have been fine if I had eaten something today. I grabbed at the chair behind me and Aro immediately caught me, supporting me so I didn't collapse completely. I slapped his hands away weakly, calling for Alice. I knew she would hear me wherever she was and I hoped she came fast because I didn't want to cry right here in front of _her_.

She appeared, like an angel, and took me from Aro who looked a bit like I had slapped his face rather than his hands. I felt like it. I didn't look back as Alice took me outside to her car but I heard Aro shouting as the door closed.

I put my head back and closed my eyes as Alice started the car. I had decided to save crying for when I got home.

"Bella, Sulpicia is a kind of—"

"I don't care."

"Aro really loves you, I know it. And I didn't see this coming, Bella. I would have warned about this if I did . . . "

"I said '_I don't care'_, Alice. Please take me home." I could apologize later for my rudeness. Right now I needed to get as far away from here as I could.

As we left the trees for the highway I decided I had better ask now or I would never know because I was pretty sure I was never going to see any of them again.

"Why did Aro call her_ 'Ezrebet'_ like that?" The way he'd said it and the connection to the virgin thing made me feel like it was something I needed to know about. I was being attacked by numerous vile theories one of which being that this was some twisted game they played with each other and I was just a pawn in it.

Alice actually shuddered and made a chokey noise before answering. "_Erzebet_," she said and stuck out her tongue like she was trying to get the taste of the name off of it. "I don't really want to talk about it. You can . . . Google it. But you have to look up the name _'Elizabeth Bathory'_. If you want. It's pretty gross, Bella. It's maybe something that wouldn't be a good idea to read about right now . . . "

Well, now that you made it sound_ boring_, Alice, I'll be sure to wait.

I tried to open the car door when we got to my house before she had even stopped. I knew she was going to try to talk more and I wanted to get away.

"Bella, no!" She caught my arm in her tiny iron grip and held it even after we'd stopped.

"Let go of me, please, Alice."

"I will if you promise you will talk to him and let him tell you his side of this."

"Fine."

"Bella."

"Okay. I will talk to him. But not tonight."

"That's fair. I will tell him that." But she was still holding me.

"You said you would let go."

"We all love you too, Bella."

I didn't respond. I knew I would cry. She let go and I got out and stumbled up the walkway to the front door. I didn't make it to my room, I sat down in the middle of the floor at the base of the stairs and started that kind of weird, desperate sobbing you never see in movies because it's not possible to fake. It can only be in the grim venue of reality where real heartbreak occurs and real happiness can be snatched away with only a few perfectly awful words.

I didn't know having your heart broken was actually physically painful. No one told me that. It was so intense I put my hands up to my chest to feel if there was a wound there, like maybe while I wasn't looking someone had carved a hole through my ribcage and stuffed fistfuls of hot coals inside, pressing them strategically all around my heart, where they stayed, too hot to remove, searing it to charcoal under my weak, incapable fingers that did nothing but pull at my skin in the pointless way of a drowning victim, waving to a shore where no one stood.

It was a long time later, when I had almost fallen silent that I heard a door open upstairs.

"Bella?"

A light came on in the hallway above and then Charlie was pulling me to my feet. The phone rang.

"Don't answer it!" I said. "It's him. Just turn off the ringer."

He obeyed me mutely and then took me by the shoulders and made me sit at the table. He sat next to me.

"What happened?"

"Aro's wife—she's _here_—she—sh—" I wasn't sobbing anymore, just gasping for air I could never have again. The invaluable oxygen of another life where I had believed someone who told me they loved me.

"I'm really sorry, Bells. I never wanted this to happen. And I was starting to believe it wasn't going to you know. He seemed—"

"I'm going to bed, Okay?" My voice was disturbingly normal all at once. The flash fire of my sorrow had burned out at the sound of Charlie's sympathy. He would hurt over this if he saw me hurting. I had brought Aro into our lives so if I got hurt, I had earned it, but I wouldn't let him hurt Charlie. So I would just be okay instead. I stood calmly.

Charlie had been leaning forward and now he sat back, looking stunned by my sudden reversal of emotions. He didn't try to speak but I could tell he was as upset by my sudden serenity as he was by my sadness.

I pulled off my ring and set it carefully on the counter as I passed it. I turned when I was halfway up the stairs and saw Charlie pick it up and examine it, read the inscription and then set it down again with a sigh before turning off the light.

* * *

END NOTES:

Well, that was an anticlimactic lemon! Get it? Sorry. I had to. Anyway, I hate bad, unrealistic sex in fic and worse, a bad de-virginizing so I wanted that to play out very plausibly and also to have the focus remain on their relationship more than the sex. Also, one of the worst fic cliches is everybody-comes-one-billion-times so I went for nobody-comes-at-all. Hot, right?

That Mona Lisa story is true. I've been obsessed with it since I was twelve.

As for Aro being friends with Constance Wilde: Aro's well-known lack of regard for humans, I believe, would not extend to famous and powerful humans and that he would have attempted to befriend (and "collect" from) as many of them as possible. It is hinted about that he collects things in canon and that the necklace he gives Bella in Breaking Dawn has one of the crown jewels hanging from it. But why _Oscar Wilde's_ wife? Well, any dedicated Michael Sheen fan already knows the answer to that. *whispers* Michael's in a movie about him. You see his butt. Sherry was right.

P.S. Remember that Sulpicia is basically Christina Hendricks. YouTube her in _Mad Men_ and then read that part again if you're not familiar.

* * *

"_I love you like this, telling me you hate me while I'm doing something nice for you."_

* * *

**Unnamed Guest:** I never even thought about that Jacob-fever-baby possibility! Made me laugh.

**Gorron:** Way to make me super nervous about my ending. All I can think now is, "This is not a good ending! Oh, God! It's a _bad ending!_ I'll be stoned to death in the square!"

**Penny:** Please, dear God, draw that and yes, I want a link!


	13. Anything

AN~Finally! I wanted this to be as perfect as I could make it. I don't feel good about posting things I don't like or think are boring and then expecting other people to read them. Basically, I don't want to waste your time with junk, you deserve better.

* * *

The song I listened to most while doing the final edit on this chapter and which I recommend to you is:

_Please Don't Let it Go by HIM_

YouTube it, yo.

**Last chapter! Excited!? Me too.**

* * *

**13**

I couldn't sleep. At four am I gave up trying and went downstairs, dragging my comforter with me like the clumsiest, lumpiest cloak ever. I still hadn't eaten anything. And I was still set on not falling apart over this. I was just going to . . . eat cereal.

I saw the light on the answering machine but I ignored it. I calmly got my food and sat at the table with my back to the phone. At least, where it was supposed be. The cordless phone was sitting on the table in front of me. I lifted it and looked at the little digital read out. 22 MISSED CALLS. I pushed the arrow keys before I could stop myself. UNKNOWN, UNKNOWN, UNKNOWN. Except that I _did _know of course. I set it back down and continued eating.

I'm not sure how long I stayed there, staring into the slightly pink layer of milk left in my bowl but I think it was far shorter than I would like to admit before I got up and went to the answering machine. A red twelve glowed there. I picked it up and took back to the table. The cord just barely reached and created a nice thigh-high trip wire across the entrance to the kitchen. I shoved my cereal bowl to the side and carefully put the machine in its place in front of me like it was a bomb I was about to defuse. I pushed the button and a robotic female voice came on:

**September 13, 8:15pm**

_Hey, bitch!_

It was Jessica. Good to know she was still Jessica.

_So, Carlisle says I have to be in here for a few days. I guess they have to do some stupid surgery tomorrow morning so yeah whatever. Hey, tell your boyfriend thanks for bringing me. I'm going to come up with a cooler thing to call him. He's really as nice as you said. Well, call me. Room 225. Lates._

As nice as I _thought_ he was, Jess. It hurt to hear her saying those things about Aro but I couldn't not laugh at her calling her doctor by his first name and at calling a surgery "stupid." I could hear that she was scared. I kept that message and let it go automatically to the next.

**September 13, 10:20pm**

I tensed. This was it.

_Isabella. I wish you had let me explain. I need you to let me explain. Please call me. I love you._

He sounded nervous. Which I used to think was adorable and which only made me paranoid now because she had said he only did it to get what he wanted.

**September 13, 11:10pm**

_I know you must be very upset by what Sulpicia said but it isn't like she said, I swear it. I want to explain but I need to talk to you. I'd like to do it in person but I will settle for the phone if you don't want to see me just yet._

Or ever.

**September 13, 11:43pm**

_I know you aren't supposed to do this, I know people are supposed to act normal and not call someone over and over but I don't know how to do that. I can't be normal, I'm sorry._

**September 14, 12:27am**

_I'm not going to leave Forks until I see you._

**September 14, 12:28am**

_That sounded really threatening. That wasn't what I meant. I just think you owe it to me to let me explain in person before you condemn me to a life that doesn't have you in it. I love you so much . . ._

I couldn't believe him. All I could hear when he said he loved me was her mocking me for thinking I was unique to him.

**September 14, 1:15am**

_Bella_

A woman's voice. And even though I had only heard it once, it was unmistakable.

_This is Sulpicia. I think you—_

I pushed the delete button a little harder than I should have so it stuck down on one side. I wasn't about to listen to her. She'd said plenty. But I couldn't stop myself from listening to his messages.

**September 14, 1:17am**

_I know you aren't asleep because I _know_ you. That's why I keep calling. I know there's a chance you really might never agree to see me and I wanted to try to make an impression on you while you still cared before you completely shut off the part of you that loves me and started trying to convince yourself I never existed._ _Please don't do that yet_.

I wanted him to be wrong but I had already started to do that. Every picture of him, of us, that I had on my computer was sitting in the trash bin, waiting to be deleted, removing his face from my life forever. I was thinking about it the entire time I was eating.

**September 14, 2:55am**

_I love you. I know I said that already a few times but I wanted to say it again in case you listen to these more than once before you inflict a violent death on this answering machine. This way it's at the beginning of a message so even if you're skipping through you'll hear it._

**September 14, 2:57am**

_You know me, too._

**September 14, 3:40am**

_I forgot. Sherry told me Andrea's sick and wants you to work tonight. That was last night so you might want to call her if you don't want to work today. This message isn't even romantic in a hardcore stalker way so you can go ahead and delete it right off I think. I hope I hear from you soon._

**September 14, 4:10am**

_Hey, Bella_.

Jessica again.

_So, I guess I'm going into surgery now. They're making some_ huge _deal about it. I'm really not sure why they woke me up when they're just going to put me back to sleep again. Whatever. Anyway, I want to hear about your birthday. They're talking about transferring me somewhere after I'm recovered enough from this so you should come see me later today. Hey, whoa, you are _not_ cute enough to be touching me there—_

I was pretty certain that last part wasn't for me. But it made me smile.

I pushed the play button again. I kept all of them. Even the one about work. It was actually my favorite because it just sounded so ordinary and I could believe none of this had happened yet. I fell asleep with my head on the table, to the sound of Aro saying he knows me and I woke up to the sound of Charlie answering the door. I could see him in profile and I knew it had to be Aro even before he said, "You're brave to come here knowing how many guns I keep in my house."

I couldn't hear Aro's response. I moved closer, plastering myself against the wall so he couldn't see me. Of course, he knew I was there, he could hear our heartbeats, but he couldn't let Charlie know that. I saw Charlie receive one of those large golden envelopes people put legal documents in like—

"Divorce papers . . ." Charlie said, looking down at the first five inches of a thin stack of papers he'd pulled out.

"She was supposed to mail them straight to the lawyer after signing them but she decided to come here and torment everyone one last time while delivering them in person. I filed them the day after I met Isabella. I've just been waiting until she reappeared so she could sign them. She said some unfortunate things to Bella, I'm afraid. They weren't completely lies but the way they were presented made them seem far more sinister—"

Charlie held up his hand. "That's between you and Bella." He fished something small out of his pocket and dropped it into Aro's hand of which I saw just the tips of his fingers. My ring wasn't on the counter. His ring.

"I don't suppose she will talk to me now?" Aro asked hopefully. He sounded so sincere and sad, it tore my heart. But I was also feeling sick now because he'd just said what Sulpicia said weren't lies. He'd done this before.

Charlie glanced at me and I shook my head.

"No. I don't think she's ready for that," Charlie said. He handed the envelope back formally.

"May I wait?"

"What, here?"

"I can wait at the street if you'd prefer."

"No. By all means, wait in the yard," Charlie said like he was telling someone they could take a nap on the train tracks if they really wanted to but it seemed like a stupid plan to him. He closed the door and I peeked around edge of the window to see that Aro was walking back to his car. When he got to it, he put his back against the door and then stayed there.

I tried to act causally when Charlie turned around. I smiled as cheerily as I was capable of but he just stared back at me, obviously unsettled.

"You don't have to tell me what happened but I really feel like it's be a bad idea for you to be pretending you're okay right now. You can't pretend away being in love with someone just because they hurt you."

I could tell it made him uncomfortable to talk about me being in love with Aro and the reality of his words, built on the foundation of my mother's revoked promises, weren't easily ignored.

"I'm not pretending to be okay. I am okay. I mean, I'm sad, but I'll get over it. I've only known him a couple of months so it's not that big of a deal. And he doesn't even live here so in a few days he'll go home and everything will be fine. Normal."

Normal. Boring. Empty . . .

"Bella, when I found you last night . . . you looked . . . it wasn't good. I'm a little afraid to leave you alone to be honest."

"Dad, I'm not going to kill myself."

"Okay. Well, I'd still prefer that you weren't alone today. You need to talk to someone and it's probably not going to be me so you should call one of your friends and have them come over."

"Well, I'm going to see Jessica later and then I'm going to work so, you know, lots of people around. And you'll be home before me tonight . . ."

He looked skeptical but didn't say anything else.

Aro was still there when Charlie went to work an hour later. Charlie waved to him in a way which clearly indicated he thought Aro was a complete lunatic and got into his cruiser.

The house needed to be cleaned but I couldn't do it. I turned on the TV but the channels were a bit limited. Finally, I found a _Saved by the Bell_ marathon and spent the next two hours wondering how they all did their hair like that. I forced myself to only look outside on one commercial break per episode. He hadn't moved any of the times. Of course he didn't _need_ to. He could literally stand out there forever.

I went upstairs and took a shower. I tried not to think about the fact that the last time I was naked, other than when I'd changed into my pajamas as quickly as possible, stuffing my dress rudely into the back of my closet out of sight, it was with him. That seemed like longer ago than just last night. It seemed impossible that experience could have anything to do with right now. It was like I had stepped into another dimension. A cold, flat one with almost no air and very little color.

I did everything as methodically as I could. I got dressed. Dried my hair. Went downstairs and ate a sandwich. I called Sherry and said I could work which is when I found out that Andrea wasn't "sick," she was in jail for pushing her boyfriend through a window. He wasn't seriously wounded in any way and I suddenly liked Andrea a lot better than I had the day before and decided I would be the most flattering character witness ever if asked at to testify at her trial.

I looked at the wall clock thinking it must have been hours since I'd looked outside. An hour and a half.

I decided to do the thing I had been putting off and went upstairs. It was probably better to know this before I saw him again anyway and since I couldn't leave my house _without_ seeing him . . .

I sat down at my computer and opened a new tab on the web browser that was still up, displaying pictures of Volterra, Italy that I had been examining closely every day trying to imagine living there and failing.

What was that name Alice said? Elizabeth something. I typed "Elizabeth" into the search bar and ten suggestions dropped down immediately. None of them what I was looking for. The last name was weird, I couldn't remember it enough to even guess. It started with a "b" or a "v" though I thought. I started with "b." Alphabetical order was as good as any other order. I typed "b" and then, "a" and the list of suggestions morphed with each new letter. I thought that was right but I didn't now where to go from there. Ba, ba, ba . . . Bal . . . Bar . . . Bat, no, _Bath_. All I had to type was the "t" though and every suggestion changed instantly to information connected to the same name: Elizabeth Bathory. One of the popular searches said "victims" and another said "torture" and trailed off out of sight. I had assumed this wouldn't be pleasant, but I was regretting even starting now.

I shook it off and clicked on the top search, just the name alone without any frightening details attached to the end. Wikipedia was at the top of the results page as usual. Which also meant this was something big. I clicked on the link and watched it turn purple in a way that suddenly seemed very threatening. It was marked as visited now. It couldn't be unclicked to blissful unknown blue.

I saw the picture first. It wasn't an exact likeness but it was close enough. A superior-looking woman in a red dress, with bright red hair and dull, horrible eyes stared at me from a very intricate painting to the side.

Words highlighted themselves in crimson as I scanned the article. Blood Countess. Bathing in blood. Torture. Female serial killer.

_Virgins_. There it was. Six hundred virgin girls. _She killed more than six hundred girls and bathed in their blood._ To make herself stay young the article said. _Drank _their blood more like it. But it was obvious why Aro had said Caius was "still upset" which seemed like a_ massive_ understatement now. If this wasn't blatant flouting of "the law" nothing was.

If she had done this, and gotten away with it, it could only be because Aro had saved her. Maybe even because he'd been involved. I saw them sitting together in a bathtub filled with human blood, drinking it from smeared glasses and laughing cruelly, surrounded by the broken corpses of dozens of murdered girls.

I closed the tab and stood. I turned in a circle in the middle of my room trying to decide if I should fight the sudden desire I had to break everything I owned. Especially everything he'd touched. Instead I grabbed my coat. I wasn't going to be a prisoner.

He stood up straight when I opened the door. I went down the steps calmly. I had to pass him to get to my truck.

"Isabella—" he started when I got close.

I dangled my keys so he could see I wasn't out there to talk to him. He sank back against his car. I opened the door to my truck and he still hadn't moved.

"Um, I'm leaving now so you don't need to wait around here, I'll be late."

"Do you still live here?" he asked.

"Yes, of course I do."

"Then I will wait."

"Fine. Suit yourself." I slammed the door a little harder than necessary and was rewarded with a tiny shower of rust on my arm. He turned his head to watch as I drove away and I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath through my nose. I wouldn't cry. I was going to see Jessica. Although, I didn't know what I was going to tell her when I got there. She was expecting some kind of fairy tale night. And I _did_ have that story, it just ended so badly. I considered only telling her the beginning but my face didn't look like a girl who'd just gotten engaged and had her first real sexual experience with a person she was in love with. I deliberately parked on the furthest side of the hospital from the emergency entrance.

I thought she might be sleeping but I when I got there she said, "Thank _God_." And threw the chunky remote for the TV onto the foot of her bed after turning it off.

"It's so_ boring_ in here."

"It supposed to be boring. It looks like you got some books though," I said, putting my hand on a stack of tattered paperbacks on her tray table.

"Ug. Even you wouldn't read those."

I tilted them to see the spines. Four Louis L'Amour novels and a copy of Bridget Jones' Diary.

"Yeah. Those are pretty bad. Sorry. If I had thought I would have brought you some magazines."

"Well, there's still time, they're talking like they're going to keep me forever."

I contemplated sitting on her bed and then chose the chair. I wasn't the touchy-feely type.

"So are you going to tell me what's really going on now?" I asked.

I was waiting for a tart response but instead she sighed and looked at her hands. She didn't answer for a long time and I didn't want to push her so I started looking around her room. There were several vases of flowers on the nightstand.

"These are nice," I said absentmindedly, touching the petals on a large, opulent-looking white flower.

She brightened immediately. "Oh, yeah, your boyfriend totally sent those! They're my favorite flower, too."

Of course he did. "When did he send these?"

"I don't know, they were here when I got back from recovery. Could have been last night. I went to sleep early. Those are _really_ expensive," she said, impressed.

Clearly he had won her over. Well, maybe he'd found another girl to seduce. Ow. A sharp pain had raced through my chest at this thought. I guessed it was a good thing I was in a hospital if I was having a heart attack.

"They're nice."

"They're gorgeous. Now tell me about the birthday.

"It seems like you have some pretty serious things going on here, Jess. Don't you think we should talk about any of that?"

"No. I don't want to think about that stuff. It's depressing and I've been talking to doctors about it since the second I got here. Come on."

She clapped her hands at me like I was a dog she was training.

"Okay. What do you want to know?"

"You are the most boring person to try to extract information from ever. You should be a spy for the government, if you got caught the kidnappers would return you in a day."

"Or shoot me in the head."

"Where was the party?"

"At the coffee shop."

She made a face. "What? Gross. Why was this such a big secret if he was doing something lame like that?"

"He had it remodeled."

"What!"

"Yeah. I guess while we were gone on Sunday. Everything is new. It's really pretty."

"Holy crap! That's amazing! Do you have pictures?"

"Oh, um, no not on me." Or at all. I needed to remember to take my camera to work tonight. Except that I couldn't go home because he was staking out my house.

"Who was there?"

"I don't know. Everyone." I actually couldn't remember.

"What else?"

"You want more than that?"

"Yes."

I sighed. "My mom is here."

"Oh, that's really cool, you guys haven't seen each other in a while yeah?" She was bored now. This was not a sexy birthday detail.

"A year." Wait, why the hell hadn't she shown up at my house this morning?

"Did you know she was coming?"

"Nope. He bought her a plane ticket and had a car drive her here from Seattle." I knew I should stop because it was just making her more excited and making my chest hurt more but I couldn't.

"_Oh my God, I hate you_."

Might as well I guess. Maybe someone would interrupt us before I got to the sad part.

"We did it."

"I sure as hell hope you put out after all that. Was it good?" I was pretty sure at this point that Jessica knew as little about sex as I did and her bravado was all show.

"It was perfect." It was. Perfect and ruined. "He had like a million candles set up when we got to his house."

"Ech. Gross." But I could tell she was delighted.

"He proposed."

Her heart monitor started beeping and flashing an orange light in a panicked-looking pattern. A nurse came in.

"She's just had major surgery," she said sternly but not unkindly. "Try to keep it down okay?"

She pressed a button on the machine that stopped the light and sound and left with a look at each of us.

"Let me see the ring!"

"I don't have it."

"What? What do you mean? Did he not give you a ring?"

"I gave it back."

Well, Charlie did. I'm not sure she had actually looked at me closely yet but her eyes went straight to my face when I sniffed.

"What happened?" She asked with far more sincerity than I knew she was capable of.

"His wife showed up."

I had stunned her into silence. For a second and a half. "_That motherfucker_. I will hurt him Bella, I promise. I know right where to hit him."

"Yeah, Jess, everyone knows that. And I knew he was married already. They just haven't been together for a long time."

"Scandal. I'm so pissed you held out on me. Did you get in a cat fight?"

"No. She just said that he always does this with girls and I'm not the first and some other shit."

"Oh. That's harsh. He _was_ too good to be true. Wait, so you did have a ring at some point?"

"Yes."

"Was it before or after the party?"

"Before."

"So everyone knew you were engaged then?"

"Charlie and Renee knew. I think she's probably off with Alice planning my wedding still . . ."

"Okay then, that bitch is _lying_. He did all of this in front of your friends and told your parents he was going to marry you? Seriously, Bella?"

"He said she wasn't."

"So you talked about it?"

"No. I ran out and Alice took me home. He told Charlie that this morning."

"Why the hell would he tell Charlie he has a string of girlfriends he uses? Was he trying to get shot?"

"I don't know. He just said she wasn't lying but she made it sound worse than it was."

"Okay, so she's just jealous and you totally fucking overreacted, Bella."

"No, I didn't. You didn't meet her or hear exactly what she said. It was horrible."

"So you haven't talked to him at all?"

"I said he could stop hanging out in my yard."

"He's . . ._ hanging out in your yard?_ Right now?"

"Yup. He says he's going to wait there until I talk to him."

"How long has he been there?"

"Since about six o'clock this morning."

"Aw."

"No. Not 'aw.' Annoying."

"Did he try to call you last night after you left?"

"Uh huh. I didn't answer."

"How many times did he call?"

"Twenty-two. No wait, two of those were you. So, twenty. Or nineteen I guess because one of them was Sulpicia."

"Who's Sulpicia?"

"His wife . . ."

"His wife . . . _called_ you? What the fuck did she want?"

"It sounded like she was trying to apologize actually but I deleted her message."

"Did he leave messages?"

"Yeah. Nine of them."

"What did he say?"

"That he needs to explain in person and that he knows me and he's worried if I don't let him explain now I never will. And that he loves me."

"Aw."

"Stop saying that. It's not like that."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure it is and you're the one being an asshole at this point."

"I'm not being an asshole, Jessica. I'm humiliated. Everyone said he was too old for me and something like this would happen and they were right and now I look stupid."

"Well, I'm cool with looking stupid for someone like that so if he's still in your yard when you get home, you can send him over here."

"You're not even attracted to him!"

"He remodeled a restaurant for you. In a day. Do you have any idea what that must have cost? And he sent me flowers. That bouquet was_ seventy-five dollars_. I looked online. I'm pretty sure he's the sexiest man I've ever met."

"I will tell him you said that."

"So now you have to talk to him. And you might want to ask about that whole thing where he proposed to you and worships the ground you walk on and wants you to run away to Italy and if he does that with all of his bimbos."

"I'm a bimbo now?"

"_No_. That's the point, Bella. You're not the kind of girl that gets treated like that. You're the kind who gets proposed to and taken to Italy to live in a mansion. Except he's already married. That's a problem."

"He had signed divorce papers when he came over this morning." I knew they were fake but no one else did. "He said she'd had them for months and he was just waiting for her to sign."

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get the fuck out, go to your house, get your ring back from him and say you're sorry for being an asshole."

"I have to apologize to him now?"

"Yes. He's completely in love with you and has done every possible thing to prove it. You didn't trust him. You just believed some jealous biotch you didn't even know. That was cold, Bella."

"Well, I have to go to work now, so if he's still there after, then I guess I can consider your advice. "

"You're going to make him wait outside in the cold for like six hours?"

"He'll be fine, trust me. And I only work four today. I'll be home by six."

"Whatever. Anyway, they're shipping me off day after tomorrow so you should come back tomorrow and tell me what happened."

"Shipping? where are you going?"

"Somewhere in Florida. Ren-something."

"Renfrew?"

"Yeah, how did you know—"

"TLC. They had a show about eating disorders."

"So you know about that then. Awesome."

"It's okay, Jess. I wish I'd known how unhappy you were though. I'm sorry."

"Well, at least I'll be out of Forks."

"Have you talked to Mike?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yup. I told him everything. It was nice to not hide things anymore."

"Was he really upset?"

"Not so much. He proposed to me. Again. He's an idiot," she said but I could tell she was trying to hide a smile.

"He's sweet."

"He said he'd move wherever I wanted if I didn't want to live in Forks. I told him we'd talk when I got back."

"That's great. So . . . what about the baby?"

She looked down at her hands again. "Major abdominal surgery and general anesthesia don't really mix with, you know. So, that's—"

I may not have been the touchy-feely type but even I know to hug someone after all of that when they start crying. She pulled away and started quickly wiping her face when the nurse came back.

"All right, Miss Stanley, we need you to get up and walk around now."

"What? I just had like ten people sticking a bunch of crap in my guts!"

"That's just how we do things. If you lay around after a surgery like this, you'll get constipated. Would you like a nice bowel obstruction?"

"Gross! Fine," she said shoving her blankets off her legs irritably.

There was a lot of swearing after that as the nurse supported her into the bathroom. I walked back over to the flowers Aro had sent. They _were_ beautiful. Just like everything he'd done and said until last night. But he didn't really do anything then either. I _had_ just believed a lot of things someone I didn't know had said. Why was Jessica suddenly so wise and I was an idiot?

"Hello, Bella."

I turned to find Dr. Cullen standing at the foot of Jessica's bed.

"Oh, hi." I had no idea if he knew what had happened.

"She's recovering well already."

"She's pretty . . . tenacious. So why did she need surgery?"

"That's not information I'm allowed to share with you," he said.

"Aro will just tell me later," I bluffed.

"We had to repair a small tear in her bowel from the laxative abuse and she also turned out to have appendicitis which we didn't know until we were in there. She's lucky you brought her in, it could have been . . . more serious fairly quickly."

"Well, it was Aro. I didn't really know what was going on. I don't think I would have known to take her to the hospital. He saved her life didn't he?"

"Probably."

"It's weird. You know, saving a hu—person. Because of what he does."

"Jessica is important to you."

I was relieved I didn't need to respond to that because Jessica reappeared with the nurse just then.

"I have to get to work so I'll be by tomorrow, okay?"

"Surewhateverbye," she said and I was pretty she was going to break that nurse's arm with how hard she was holding onto it.

"We're going to get you some pain medication here, Jessica," I heard Dr. Cullen say as I went back into the hallway.

"I want morphine."

"That's a little stronger than necessary I think."

"Really? Have you ever been stabbed?"

"Yes, actually, I used to be in a biker gang," he said.

Jessica did not laugh but I was still chucking as I left the hospital into the parking lot. To discover I had exited the wrong side of the building and was suddenly standing under the cover of the ambulance bay in front of the emergency room.

It had been less than a day. I hadn't cried since last night. I was determined I wasn't going to. I had to be okay for Charlie. But Charlie wasn't here. It was just me and the incessant, unforgiving rain that was sheeting down past the overhang.

And I wasn't okay. I was a dumb nineteen-year-old girl who'd had her heart broken for the first time and I was so paralyzed by grief I couldn't think. I wanted to walk out into the rain and just stand there for a very long time but I had to go to work so I didn't do that. I did cry though, sitting in my truck, listening to the raindrops clatter on the windows and roof. It wasn't the same kind of crying as the night before because I wasn't in such an acute state of shock anymore. And I wasn't crying about Sulpicia's words, I was crying about his.

Him asking me to marry him.

Him telling me he loved me.

That I saved him.

And that he would die for me.

It was too perfect. He was too perfect. That was why I believed her so easily. He couldn't be real. What she'd said made more sense. That he was a charming liar who did this all the time. I should have been more cautious from the start but I didn't understand that then.

And he just came out of nowhere. We spoke one day then a week later I was living in this impossible fantasy with him and there wasn't a moment to think about it and wonder if it made sense. I wouldn't have wanted to anyway. All I wanted was to be near him.

I still wanted it but I couldn't believe it anymore. I was afraid to talk to him because she was right about him being so adorable you'd believe anything he said. I would. I did. I wanted to.

I finally stopped crying enough to drive. I rolled the window down part of the way so that the cold air would help reduce the swelling and redness in my face and I thought that as long as I pretended to be super happy and smiled a lot, no one would notice how completely miserable I actually was.

But all of the fake chirpiness turned out to be exhausting and doing my job felt like swimming thorough wet sand.

And everyone seemed to know Aro had been behind the new look. Even people I was sure I didn't know. And they all wanted to talk about it. And compliment Aro. I smiled. That was the best I could do.

Sherry asked where my ring was. I guess Alice and Renee were in earlier, doing exactly what I was afraid they were. I told her I left it at home because I didn't want to lose it at work. She looked disappointed but didn't question it.

Usually, I was anxious for my shift to be over but it went by so fast that when I looked up and saw I was off in ten minutes I actually thought someone had messed with the clock. I offered to stay later but Sherry insisted I go "spend time with that sexy fiance" of mine. Suddenly the town weirdo was the sexiest man alive.

I walked to my truck slowly and then sat with it running for fifteen minutes. I could claim I was warming it up, but it had no heater. I was just delaying going home. I couldn't go see Jessica again and the thought of seeing Jacob and having to explain all of this was even less appealing than just going home and seeing Aro, still in my yard, looking, I'm sure, as pathetic as a sack of abandoned kittens.

I sat through a green light twice on the way home and then accidentally drove through it while it was red. There wasn't anyone around anyway. I turned onto my street and drove about as slow as I could while still touching the gas pedal.

The porch light was on, illuminating the yard as the night crawled in. He was sitting on the hood of his car with his head down. I got out and closed my door quietly. He lifted his head and I forced myself to not look at him as I went by. He didn't try to speak to me but I saw that his clothes and hair were damp like he'd just stayed out there while it was raining.

I forced myself to remember that he could stand outside in a hundred rainstorms and be just fine and I went inside without looking back. Charlie called to me from the living room. I set my keys on the table and sat on the couch.

"Work good?"

"Uh huh."

Two commercial's worth of silence.

"It's cold out there," he said.

"Yup."

"Bella—"

"No."

"Alice called the station today."

"Why?"

"She put a woman name Sulpy or Piecey—I don't know—on the phone. Anyway. She claimed to be his wife—or ex-wife I guess. She said there had been a misunderstanding—"

"She was very clear. There was no 'misunderstanding'," I said.

"She said that she'd said some things that weren't entirely true about Aro."

"Okay."

"Bella, he's been out there for twelve hours without a coat."

"He could have sat in his car," I said in a way that must have sounded insanely cruel to him since he didn't know Aro couldn't get cold.

"I tried to get him to come inside when I got home but he said he wouldn't 'invade your space' unless you requested it."

"You invited him in?"

"Look, I don't know what was said but no guy I've ever met would do what he's doing right now. That's not insignificant. Now maybe you can't forgive whatever was said but you should at least go tell him that so he can go home before he gets pneumonia. I think he's earned that much. Or he's insane. Either way, it's about time for him to get off my lawn. Also it's raining again."

I could see that it was just starting to sprinkle out the window. The drops flashed by like quicksilver bullets, disappearing from view at the window ledge. I stood up and went to look outside. He was still there but now his face was turned upwards, his eyes closed. The rain sped up even in the few seconds I was at the window.

When I stepped out onto the porch he stood and came forward but not too close. He seemed to sense that I was going to talk to him this time.

But I didn't talk and neither did he. We stared at each other. Like in the coffee shop that day when he caught me watching him. But we were strangers then. And I knew that now, whether or not he was a liar, he did know me. He knew me better than any person ever had. So if what Sulpicia said was true, he was the most dangerous person in the world to me. A beautiful, wonderful liar who knew exactly what to say. To make me happy. To make me sad. To make me love him.

But I had told him that he _didn't_ convince me to love him because I had loved him _before_ I knew he was so perfect so if I were to pretend now like I had been tricked into falling for him,_ I_ was a liar.

He was just waiting for me to speak, his eyes were—

"Your eyes are brown," I said without meaning to. His contacts should have been gone hours ago.

"I brought extra contacts. I thought it might be some time before I could convince you to talk to me."

"How many extra?"

"Enough for about three days. I figured by then, if you hadn't talked to me yet, it was probably safe to assume you were not going to and that I should go home and try to forget about this life I certainly never deserved anyway."

He was completely drenched now, his hair was sticking to the sides of his face in places and even though they were wet, I could see he was wearing the same clothes as last night.

"So, six hundred virgins, huh?"

With him down in the yard and me on the porch above him, I felt like I was starting the strangest stand-up comedy routine ever.

He grimaced. "She got a little . . . carried away in the seventeenth century after we split up for the last time. She became obsessed with the idea that she might start aging if she didn't get enough blood. The only reason she's not dead is because she's known us for so long. Everyone is a little indulgent with their friends and family, you know. And she is family to us as awful as she is sometimes. Anyone else would have been put to death immediately. But there was no way to undo the damage so she became a legend and Caius decided to settle for punishing her by locking her in a room for a few years with only rat's blood to drink."

"Why isn't she married to him then? They sound perfect for each other."

He laughed in a humorless way. "Caius already has a wife. Who is much too good for him." He paused. "I'm still hoping to return home in a similar situation as that."

I closed my eyes and forced myself to swallow against the terrible ache in my throat.

"You said you wanted to explain, so you'd better do it before you're totally soaked."

It was a stupid thing to say, he couldn't get any wetter if he ran all the way to Quinault and jumped in the lake.

"You had to know I had other relationships before we met."

I kept my face neutral.

"But it wasn't like she said. Do you really think so little of me that you would so readily believe I was like that because someone who is a stranger to you said I was?"

The same thing Jessica had said . . .

"They weren't necessarily flings but not all of them were relationships either. And I didn't treat them poorly. I never promised them anything and they didn't expect it. They knew who I was, it wasn't like I tricked them. And I never proposed to any of them either. I know you won't believe this and I probably wouldn't either but I've never proposed to anyone else."

"What about Sulpicia?"

"I didn't propose to her. She _informed_ me that we were getting married. All I did was not resist. I never proposed to anyone after we split up because I never understood why anyone would _want_ to be married. Especially not after being married to her for twelve hundred horrifying years. But then I met you and suddenly the impulse to want to do everything possible to prove your devotion to another person made sense."

His words were too perfect. Like he was reading from a script entitled: Things That No One Ever Says Because They're Too Good to be True.

"Why did you go to all the trouble to make fake divorce papers for Charlie?"

It had been bothering me all day.

"They aren't fake. Catholics are particularly staunch about record-keeping and preservation of old documents. I had our names found in their new computer system and got some dates altered. I'm as legally divorced now as I ever can be. It's arbitrary but I thought that it would matter to you. And I wanted you to feel . . . safe. From her. For reasons which are obvious now, I think."

Sulpicia's words had poisoned me because now I couldn't believe anything he said if he also looked adorable while saying it which was pretty much always. He was talking louder now because it was raining pretty hard. I knew I didn't have to shout because he would be able to hear me fine.

"So, I saw Jessica."

"Is she well?"

"She will be. She told me I was an asshole and I should come and apologize to you."

"I like Jessica," he said and smiled for the first time. "She could come to visit."

"Unless I'm a really ugly vampire she wouldn't be very happy to see me. She liked the flowers though."

"Did she look them up to see how much they cost?"

"Wow. You really do know her."

"I got the most expensive ones Port Angeles had."

"Well, she loved them. She said you were the sexiest man she's ever met."

"I doubt that. She loves her boyfriend quite a lot. Also she spoke to Ryan Gosling in an airport once."

I forced myself not to laugh. Why was he funny? It was really hard to be mad at a funny person.

"You should take this. It's yours."

He was holding out the ring.

"If you want to just throw it away you can. It's yours to do with whatever you'd like. I need you to take it though and not leave me with something that has your name engraved on it. It's already engraved on much more painful and permanent places in me that I can't just give away."

"Well, maybe you should just stop carving my name on things."

My voice was extremely watery and it made me cringe.

He laughed a little. "Maybe. It's a good thing I cannot have a tattoo, I suppose."

Believing him was a chance but it had been in the first place. Jacob took a chance with me and it ended badly for him because I couldn't love him back. But it wasn't my fault. Taking a chance on someone who already said they loved you was different. If they said it and didn't mean it, they would have to be gaining something worth telling a lie so big and I had nothing to offer him. There was little chance I would have extraordinary powers and it was obvious from Sulpicia's reaction that being with a human was as shocking as he'd said.

I didn't trust myself. I knew I was too in love with him to see this situation as anything but what he said it was and what I wanted it to be.

But I trusted Charlie.

And Charlie had invited him into our house.

I stepped down into the yard, into the rain, once again passing through a storm to reach him. When I got there he said, "You're getting wet. I would have brought it to you."

"Why didn't you?"

"I was afraid you'd hit me and I didn't want you to hurt yourself."

"So are you asking me to marry you again or just pawning off a piece of unpleasant jewelry?"

"I think it's your turn, actually."

I took the ring from his palm but didn't put it on. It glittered redly in the light from the porch which caught the water drops clinging to it.

"Well, I think my mom and Alice are planning what sounds like a really scary wedding based on what Sherry told me and it would be pretty embarrassing for me if you didn't show up at that so—"

He didn't wait for me to say anything else and in a second he was kissing me.

I balled my fist around the ring as I put my arms around his neck so I didn't drop it because I knew he'd never stop making fun of me if I did.

"Didn't we already do this kissing-in-the-rain thing?" I asked, what might have been a very long time later.

"Yes, but it's working for me so we should keep doing it."

"I'm sort of cold though."

"Of course. Will you come with me?"

"Where?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Sounds good. I should go put on dry clothes first though."

"Right. Well, if you're going to be taking them off anyway, you could do that at my house just as well as here. Because it's nice there. And I'll be there. And I have to change as well so we'd actually be saving time because then I wouldn't have to drive back here . . ."

"That makes a lot sense but I think I have hypothermia so maybe I'm not thinking clearly."

"Then we should definitely go to my house because if you get sick there's a doctor right there and everything. It's very convenient."

But we only made it as far as the edge of the grass before we were kissing again. I was surprised to find that it hurt. I thought making up would seal that wound but I guess it wasn't that easy. It was a different kind of hurt that made me realize that the amount that you loved a person equaled the amount they could hurt you.

I didn't tell Charlie I was leaving. If he saw even a second of us making out the way we were which I'm sure looked completely obscene then he knew exactly where we going and probably appreciated me not making him interact with me beforehand.

Aro stopped the car and started kissing me twice on the way even though it wasn't very far. Just like our first kiss. Except I wasn't concerned about other cars this time because I knew he could hear one coming in plenty of time.

When we stopped at the Cullen's he said, "I can get you a different ring, you know. If that one has bad memories attached to it."

I was still holding it inside of my hand.

"I just didn't want to drop it. It reminds me of you telling me I saved your life. I don't want another ring."

"My sunlight."

"_Grumpy_ sunlight."

"It's the only kind I'm allowed to go near without legally being required to pull my own head off . . ."

"Lucky for you."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Falling in love with me."

"I don't think I really had a choice."

"Not after I used that mind control thing on you."

"I _knew_ it. I hope I have a power that let's me do something really awful to you."

"That's . . . disturbing."

"Guess you'd better be nice to me. That means _a lot_ of biting when I'm a newborn."

"You are going to hurt me . . ."

"Not if you make me happy."

The silly, giddy atmosphere of our conversation vanished like it was a delicate vapor that was sucked from the car by a strong vacuum.

"That was her power. Didyme. She could make people feel happy. Can you imagine how terrible it is to know you have destroyed something not only _innocent_ in itself but also with the ability to _create joy _from nothing?"

I shook my head slightly. I understood he wasn't really asking me to answer I just wanted him to know I was listening.

"I was _disappointed_ after I turned her and found that that was 'all' she could do. I felt like _I _had been cheated. I thought it was pointless because it didn't make us—_me_—more powerful. What happened with you last night was a bit like that."

"You were disappointed that I didn't make you more powerful? I gave you my underwear, what else did you want?"

He laughed even though I could tell he wanted to remain stoic.

"No, Isabella. I mean it was like I had again destroyed a thing that created joy from nothing. Because there was nothing like joy in me in the months before I met you. Maybe even years. Or ever. At least nothing like this . . ."

He grazed my face carefully with his fingertips like he was afraid that if he actually touched me I would pop like a soap bubble and disappear.

"Oh. So that's why you called my house twenty times?"

"I may have panicked a bit."

"Yeah. You're a little melodramatic."

"It's just you went away thinking I had lied to you and I couldn't say I hadn't because I had not told you about the people I had been with before. I should have. But you just _liked me_ so much that I didn't want you to think less of me for having a lot of relationships that could easily be classified as frivolous. And I didn't want you to know anything that might make you think you weren't special to me . . ."

"Now you know why I never told you about that poster of Leonardo DiCaprio I used to make out with when I was thirteen."

He laughed again and kissed me. "I did lie to you once, actually," he said. But he was smiling so I knew it wasn't anything bad.

"Was it the time you told me I still looked pretty when I had that weird rash on the side of my face?"

"Okay, twice. I lied to you twice."

I tried to hit him but he was too fast.

"Do you remember when I said I didn't know how much I liked you until our date? Well, that wasn't entirely true. See, I already loved you. The only thing I discovered that day was that, for me, you had the same ability as Didyme. You made me feel happy, not just 'better' like before when I was only near to you, but actually happy."

"So you hate being happy then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you said you tried to leave still. I don't understand why you would leave something that made you happy . . ."

"Because I killed the last thing that made me happy and I've been thinking about it for twenty-five hundred years. Not leaving immediately was the most selfish and irresponsible thing I have ever done."

"Sound like you owe me . . ."

"For inflicting myself upon you? Yes, I would say that is accurate. It would be a big favor so save it for som—"

"I know what I want."

He smiled in an indulgent way, probably thinking I was going to demand some kind of dangerous-to-fulfill sexual act.

"When we get to Italy, I want you to tell Marcus what you did."

"You . . . want me to commit suicide?"

"I think he'll forgive you."

"But you haven't met him . . ."

"And all you've ever told me is that he is very kind. In your words, 'the kindest person you've ever known aside from Carlisle Cullen.'"

"But that's . . . Marcus is gentle but I don't think that would extend to something like this. I would kill me for this no matter how much time had passed. If I found that someone had done that to you, I would destroy them in the worst way imaginable."

"Well, luckily for you, Marcus is _not_ you."

"Why do you want me to do this?"

"Because you said it, 'eternal regret is a difficult thing,' and you're angtsy enough already without carrying this around any longer. Also you said we can't leave Volterra so I would rather not have to think about this every time I see him. I can't guarantee I wouldn't eventually tell him myself out of the guilt of just _knowing_ about it."

"Will you refuse to return with me if I don't agree to this?" he asked with the sort of numb shock human cancer patients display when they're told their lives will end much sooner than they thought.

"No. I just don't see how I could live there for very long like that. I am also not you."

It sounded a little cruel but it was only the truth.

"So you will leave then?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't want to go without you."

"So the choices are to tell Marcus and stay in Volterra if possible or to not tell him and leave?"

"I would prefer that you tell him either way."

"Isabella, this is . . . I can't make promises about either."

"Just promise that you will consider them both carefully. And seriously."

"All right. About Marcus though. Will you agree to meet him first before asking me to do this thing again?"

"Okay. That sounds fair."

He sighed heavily. "I just want you to be as happy as I am."

"You don't look very happy . . ." I teased gently, pushing on his shoulder. He didn't budge but the gesture was understood. He smiled a little but it was sad.

"I'm just afraid that the life I am bound to will make that impossible."

"I'm happy as long as you are around. I really missed you today. Even though we probably wouldn't have hung out until tonight anyway, I would have spent the whole day knowing I was going to see you at least."

"You did spend the whole day knowing you were going to see me . . ."

"Yes, but I wasn't excited about it. The thought of seeing you made me feel bad. It was the worst feeling I've ever had."

"I'm sorry. I was still excited to see you, even though I thought you hated me . . ."

"Well, I guess you're a better person than me. Congratulations."

"No, I just love you more."

"You have no proof of that, snooty vampire king!"

"I was going to let you stay over last night."

"_Damn it._"

"I'll let you stay tonight."

"You _do_ love me more!"

"I'll even let you win at Scrabble, which we will be playing all night with our clothes on."

"Hmm, I thought the reason we came here _was_ to take our clothes off, what happened to that anyway?"

"I changed my mind, I'm saving myself for our wedding night," he said airily.

"What if I started taking my clothes off right here?"

"I would close my eyes," he said.

Which he did, facing straight ahead while wearing an exaggeratedly pious look. I climbed over the space between us into his lap, straddling him. He remained still. I moved his damp hair away from his neck and kissed him just under his jaw. He smiled for a second then went back to feigning extreme virtue. I rocked my hips and he lifted his own to meet me. This had become a recurring game we played and it was a game I loved because I always won. I slowly peeled my wet shirt away from my skin and then over my head. I knew he could hear it and he inhaled with a slight smile and then ran his hands up my bare sides and pulled me against him tightly.

"Sinner," he said by my ear, snapping my bra strap.

I gasped and dug my fingers into his hair. I tugged even though I knew it wouldn't hurt him.

"So what are you intending to do with me if I let you into my house this evening?"

"See if it's possible to make you blush."

"It's not."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've never seen it happen and I have no blood."

"But you drink blood . . ."

"Yes, well, it doesn't really work that wa—aaaah."

I had slipped my hand down between us and made a very suggestive movement with just my fingertips.

"That's why I said I wanted to see if it was _possible_."

"You might be able to surprise me, like you did just now, but if you think you'll be able to shock me, you'll be very disappointed."

"Does that mean you don't want me to try?"

"That just might be an activity we should save for a later time. There is a limit to my control, you know."

"Fine. Can we play _strip_ Scrabble, at least?"

"You'd be naked in five minutes."

"Nuh-uh. You said you'd let me win . . ." I said, grinning smugly.

"You're a trickster."

"You like it."

"I do."

I was about to move off of his lap so I could get my shirt back as it seemed like a bad idea to leave the car without it. It was dark out but that didn't mean much to a house full of vampires. He stayed me with his hands on my hips.

"You know, there are other things we could do that are not as . . . dangerous as what we were doing last night . . ."

The tip of his tongue appeared between his teeth for a second.

"_Oh._ You mean—"

"Unless you don't want to in which case I will just read in the other room . . . in my underwear."

"We should probably just take a shower first is all. I'm a little cold. And rain-smelling . . ."

"Well that's a good place to get started anyway. Then I can show you—"

"Aro, I'm familiar with how my special places operate, I was a virgin, not a prude."

And the look on his face told me that I had gotten as close as I was ever going to get to making him blush.

"Okay, that's good. I mean, it's good that you're comfortable . . . um, with yourself. That will make things more—"

"God, you are so _dorky_."

His demeanor changed from flustered to calm and dominant immediately.

"If you're looking to get a spanking sooner then we had planned, you're on the right track, Miss Swan."

"You'll have to catch me . . ."

I opened the door, forgetting about my shirt and dashed out into the rain. He let me get to the end of the driveway before he caught me and spun me around. He put my arms around his neck and then pulled my legs up around his hips.

"This was the other way I could have carried you to the car that day. Now you can see why it wouldn't have been appropriate."

"But you said for the outdoors and we're outside now . . . what if someone comes out here?"

"They won't."

"What about Edward? He's really nosy."

"I think there are probably a finite amount of fucks to be given about things in this world, I'm not going to waste one on Edward Cullen."

"You have a really dirty mouth lately . . ."

He whispered something in my ear that gave me, a human perfectly capable of blushing, a very warm face.

"We should probably go to your house now . . ." I said weakly. I was grateful he was carrying me because I was certain my legs would not have supported me after what he said.

He carried me that way, through the dark, wet woods until we reached the clearing where his house was.

"You know," he said, setting me on my feet again and carefully backing me up until I was trapped between him and the damp wood of the door. "Jessica was right about the way you looked the night you first came here, I totally _did_ want to drink your blood."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I wanted to marry you more than I wanted to kill you."

"That's either the most romantic thing that has ever been said or the least."

"I didn't say it to be romantic, I said it because it's true."

"Are you saying something can't be both?"

"No, I'm just telling you that if I ever say something you find romantic, it's because I believe it. Like that you are the loveliest girl I know and that if you really wanted me to run away with you, I would. I would probably do anything you asked me to no matter how foolish."

"Anything, huh?"

The smile on my face must have revealed that I was about to do something wicked to him because he looked like he immediately regretted telling me this.

"Within reason . . ." he added nervously.

"Nope! Too late, you said _anything_."

He exhaled dramatically. "What do you want, brat?"

"I just want us to go inside and get warm."

"Of course. You're cold. I'm sorry."

"Nah, not really. It's just much easier to braid dry hair . . ."

"_I love you so much_ . . ." he said but it sounded more like he was reminding himself he loved me so he didn't give in to the temptation to just go ahead and kill me after all.

I went inside and he followed me sedately, closing the door carefully behind us. I continued down the hallway but he stayed by the door, watching me.

Just as I went around the corner into the bedroom, I heard him say quietly, "Anything . . ."

**~FIN~**

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END NOTES:

Tada! Ripe for a sequel, yeah?

I just love the Jessica scene in this chapter. It's one of the best conversations in the story, I think.

I thought about that "divorce papers are real" thing a lot. It's implausible but I couldn't get over the sweetness of it so I left it in.

I think Aro's sappiest line (there were many) was the one about her name already being "engraved in more painful and permanent places" in him. It's one of the most ridiculous lines I've ever written but again, it was too sweet to erase from the story and I actually love the crap out if it.

I like melodramatic romance. Obviously.

Thank you everyone for all of your lovely feedback throughout this story. And just because it's over, doesn't mean I don't want reviews! _Moar reeveeeeeeuess pleees!_

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_"I think there are probably a finite amount of fucks to be given about things in this world, I'm not going to waste one on Edward Cullen."_

My favorite line in the entire story.

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**Gorron:** You're adorable, don't worry about it. Your last review made me laugh in an, "Awwww, sweet," way. They did end up together! Hooray!

**mkakashi1993:** "whats-her-nuts"! Hah! I'm glad my Sulpicia was exactly as unpleasant as she was intended to be but not fic-destroying. The Sulpicia in my stories is insanely awesome generally. You don't get to see her much in this story unfortunately but in others she plays a larger role and her and Aro while not "together" are pretty much besties. It's adorable, I promise.

**Penny:** Your concept of Aro marrying Sulpicia so he wouldn't be distracted by love is really interesting. Never thought about it that way. You said another thing about her that I want to respond to but I can't because I can't tell you what happens with the Sulpicia in my little TwiUniverse as it would spoil one of my other fics but she gets _a lot_ more development and I love her.

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Now, I've gotten a few questions lately about updates for various fics. It's difficult to actually get the information about story progress to people on this site as well as the others I post on so I have created a blog to fill that void. Now if you're following something and following isn't enough and you want a more clear idea of _when_ a story will be updated, you can go there and read the posts tagged with that story title. Hopefully it will be useful.

I've also found a way to trick ffn's no-outside-links thing. So, here is the address for the blog, simply remove the word "dot" in both places and replace with an actual dot (a period) and remove the spaces:

**prettyfakefaces dot blogspot dot com**

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P.S. This final chapter was posted from a hotel in Forks. I ate "lunch" at the _real_ **Forks Coffee Shop **today and Aro was right about not eating the food. There's a giant mounted animal head in the middle of the restaurant, neon signs in the windows and an odd little sliding door you have to awkwardly negotiate to get into the actual restaurant after you're already in the building. It's generally just the most unlikely place ever for a romance of any kind to blossom. It's too bad there are no rich, sexy European vampires around to remodel it for them . . .

I also went by the hospital. You know you're at the hospital here when you see a sign saying so because it's a tiny blue building that looks like a chiropractor's office and has a parking lot nowhere near big enough to accommodate the excessive amount of talking those two got up to out there. But there_ was_ an overhang at the emergency entrance, I was happy to find after much searching (glad I wasn't actively bleeding from anywhere vital at the time).

Wait, did I just say that I went looking for places in real life that I wrote about in my fanfiction? _Yes, I did._ Because the secret to happiness is not caring what other people think of you enough to do whatever makes you happy.


End file.
